Colorado Avalanche place Josh Manson on injured reserve

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson has been placed on the injured reserve week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per Head Coach Jared Bednar. Manson has six points in 21 games this season. 

Manson was acquired by the Avs’ at last season’s NHL trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for prospect Drew Helleson and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Manson registered seven points in 22 games during the last half of the season. He registered an additional three goals and eight points in 22 postseason games to help the Avs win the Stanley Cup Championship. Which included the overtime winner in game one of the Avalanches’ second-round series against the St. Louis Blues. During the off-season, Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland resigned Manson to a four-year $18 million contract with the Avalanche. 

Bednar also confirmed that Evan Rodrigues and Bowen Byram are hurt but, not listed on the injured reserve. The Avalanche have four players on the injured reserve Val Nichushkin, Shane Bowers, Kurtis MacDermid, and now Manson. Additionally, they have two players on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), captain Gabriel Landeskog and veteran forward Darren Helm. 

The Avalanche recalled 26-year-old Swedish defenseman, Andreas Englund, from their AHL farm club the Colorado Eagles. Englund has three points and 47 penalty minutes in 15 games. England does have a short NHL resume which includes 37 games with the Ottawa Senators, where he registered four assists. He signed a one-year two-way contract with the Avalanche this past summer.