Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson to miss Game 6 vs. Kraken with injury

The Colorado Avalanche will be without defenseman Josh Manson for Game 6 of their playoff series against the Seattle Kraken as he deals with a nagging injury, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed on Friday.

Manson, 31, did not play in the third period of Colorado’s 3–2 loss to Seattle in Game 5 as a result of the lower-body injury that caused him to miss all but 27 of the Avs’ games during the 2022–23 regular season.

With the Game 5 loss, the Avalanche fell behind three games to two in their Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Kraken and are at risk of being eliminated with a loss at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Friday night.

Manson averaged 11:47 per night through the Avs’ first five games of the series. He logged just 8:27 through the first two periods in Game 5 on Wednesday but did not return to the bench for the third.

The Avalanche acquired Manson from the Anaheim Ducks ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. He appeared in all 20 of the team’s games during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, collecting eight points and averaging 17:11 per night to help Colorado capture its third league championship.

As a pending unrestricted free agent the following summer, Manson signed a four-year contract worth $4.5 million per year to remain with the Avalanche through 2026. His deal features a full no-trade clause for 2023–24 and 2024–25; in the final two years, Manson is eligible to submit a 12-team no-trade list.

The Ducks originally selected Manson in the sixth round (No. 160 overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft. The six-foot-three defenseman, who shoots right, made his NHL debut with the club during the 2014–15 regular season.

Manson emerged as a consistent top-four defenseman with the Ducks in the 2017–18 season, during which he scored a career-high 37 points in 80 games. Although his offensive output decreased in subsequent seasons, he remained one of the Ducks’ most trusted defensive options until being traded to Colorado.

Through 502 career regular-season games with the Ducks and Avalanche, Manson has amassed 30 goals and 130 points. He’s added three goals and 11 points in 47 career postseason contests.