Might we finally see the healthy version of the Colorado Avalanche this year?

It sounds like there’s a chance.

After morning skate on Tuesday before the team’s game against the San Jose Sharks, Avs head coach Jared Bednar provided several injury updates. The most revealing was in regards to defenseman Erik Johnson, who broke his ankle last month.

#Avs Jared Bednar on Erik Johnson skating before AM skate:

"His original timeline was 8-to-10 weeks (from the injury). … All his rehab is going good. This would be the second time he skated."

Johnson is about three weeks into rehab. Has another doctor's appointment on Friday.

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) March 7, 2023

From Bednar:

•EJ is 3 wks into what the team originally thought was a 8-10 wk timeline
•Bednar is “cautiously optimistic” Helm will return this yr
•Hopeful Manson will return at end of month
•Francouz recovering slower than expected. Still hopeful he’ll return this year

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 7, 2023

There’s a lot to unpack there. First of all, we didn’t know “EJ” had a timeline of 8-10 weeks. It sounds like he’s ahead of that schedule, so a return for the start of the playoffs in April isn’t out of the question. That’s certainly good news overall.

If Bednar believes Helm could come back, Manson by the end of the month and Francouz has a shot to return as well, that’s essentially everyone. Obviously the biggest fish is captain Gabriel Landeskog, who’s been spotted skating recently, but Bednar won’t put a timeline on him just yet.

Still, no one has been ruled out for the season, and that’s a positive. There is optimism the full squad as intended from day one could finally all play together. It’s been a wild journey to get to this point, but even if that happens in the first game of the postseason, it’d be worth it.

Colorado is currently occupying the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but is just one point behind Winnipeg and four behind Minnesota in the Central Division. Both teams have played more games than the Avs, so if they can simply win, they’ll catch up.

Health has been the story of the season, but even navigating all those battles, it appears there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

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