Deen’s Daily: Injured Avalanche Forwards Nearing Return; Kiviranta Exclusive; Pastrnak Benched

I’m going to take the glass-half-full approach with the Avalanche. Yes, they’re 5-7-0 and coming off three consecutive 5-2 losses, two of which were at home. It’s not great.

But when the team takes the ice for practice later this morning, Artturi Lehkonen will for sure be part of it. He was activated off of injury reserve on Sunday and is on track to make his season debut on Tuesday when the Avs host the Seattle Kraken.

If you’re reading this before practice, which starts at 11 am, you might have the same thoughts that I do: What is the status of Jonathan Drouin? What about Miles Wood? And, after what head coach Jared Bednar said last week, could Valeri Nichushkin’s return to team practice also be a reality soon? Is there an announcement coming today? Or maybe tomorrow?

There’s a strong possibility that each of these four guys will be back in the lineup within the next 10-12 days. You just hope the team doesn’t lose anyone else between now and then.

Joel Kiviranta: Colorado Hockey Now spoke with Joel Kiviranta last Thursday to chat about his new role on the Avs’ top line. Kiviranta doesn’t enjoy speaking much, as English is his second language. But his confidence on the ice is beyond noticeable this season. You can read more about the exclusive interview with the 28-year-old here — available for CHN+ subscribers. I appreciate all who pay a few bucks to get more exclusive content from myself and Colleen Flynn. If you’re not a subscriber, please do consider jumping aboard.

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Part of what’s led to recent wins for the Penguins is the decision made by coach Mike Sullivan to stack his top line. Sidney Crosby is centering Rickard Rakell and Evgeni Malkin — far and away the three best forwards on the team. But, what about the other three lines?

Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins shut out the Seattle Kraken 2-0 on Sunday. In fact, Seattle has lost three straight and has one goal in that stretch. Each of the past two games have been shutout losses heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Avs. But as for the Bruins, head coach Jim Montgomery continues to hold his top stars to a high standard.

Florida Hockey Now: Just like the strong start the Vegas Golden Knights had a year ago, the Florida Panthers are proving that the idea of a Stanley Cup hangover is a myth.

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders, who are dealing with almost as many injuries as the Avalanche, continue to lose. Their most recent loss came to their rival New York Rangers.

Philly Hockey Now: An update on the timeline for Sam Ersson, who suffered an injury last week in goal for the Flyers.