Crosby missed the first seven games of the season but made his season debut on Saturday. After testing positive for COVID-19, it looks like Crosby will come right back out of the lineup on Thursday. Jeff Carter cantered the top line in practice on Wednesday.
Koekkoek has been in the lineup for three straight games but will replace Kris Russell in the lineup on Wednesday. Koekkoek has failed to record a point in six games this season.
Russell has been scratched for the last three games but will replace Slater Koekkoek on the third pairing on Wednesday. He has one assist in two games this season.
Benson has played in the last two games, averaging just 8:21 TOI/gm but will be replaced by Brendan Perlini on the fourth line vs. the Predators.
Perlini has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Tyler Benson in the lineup vs. Nashville. Perlini has no points, a minus-1 rating and two shots in five games this season.
Head coach Dave Tippett said that Smith is "skating right now, he won't play tonight but he's real close. We're hoping he'll be an option for Friday." With Smith out for a sixth straight game, look for Mikko Koskinen to start.
Arvidsson was a late scratch from the lineup on Sunday and head coach Todd McLellan said Tuesday that Lias Andersson will skate on the top line with Anze Kopitar on Wednesday, suggesting that Arvidsson will miss a second straight game in COVID-19 protocol.
Domi was added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday and is not expected to be available for Wednesday's game in Colorado. Like when he missed time with a rib injury, look for Yegor Chinakhov to replace him in the lineup.
Timmins original timetable was 8-to-12 weeks but news has surfaced that he will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury that he suffered on October 25th. Timmins was the main piece, along with a 2022 first-round pick and conditional third-round pick that the Coyotes acquired from Colorado in the Darcy Kuemper trade.
Burakovsky left last Saturday's game vs. the Wild with a lower-body injury and did not return. With Burakovsky not expected to play, look for J.T. Compher to move to Colorado's top line with Nathan MacKinnon.
Rantanen will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Rantanen remains day-to-day, so he isn't expected to be sidelined long-term. Monitor his status heading into Saturday's rematch in Columbus.
Makar will miss at least seven days with the upper-body injury and this will likely force Samuel Girard and Bowen Byram to take on bigger roles for at least the next few games. The Avalanche will be in tough on Wednesday, missing Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews, Valeri Nichushkin and maybe Andre Burakovsky as well.
