Jared Bednar delivers good news on health of key defensemen for playoffs

The race for the Avalanche to get all their injured players back for the playoffs continues.

And while they’ve got a huge game with Edmonton at Ball Arena later tonight, the postseason is paramount.

For a team that’s battled to get healthy all year, it feels like they’re closer and closer. Head coach Jared Bednar delivered the news after morning skate on Tuesday that defenseman Bowen Byram will play after suffering an illness while the Avs were out in California.

But perhaps even better than that? Both Cale Makar and Josh Manson should be ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Bowen Byram is in tonight. MacDermid will sit. Lehkonen is close.

Bednar expects Manson and Makar back by playoffs. Not sure if they’ll be back for any of the final three regular season games.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) April 11, 2023

Makar’s been out the last four games with a “lower-body injury,” which is certainly not ideal, but at least it’s nothing to do with the concussions he battled in February. And Manson has skated in just 27 games this year, out since March 1 after returning for just six contests.

The fact forward Artturi Lehkonen is also close as he deals with a broken finger will be a boost. Lehkonen is fifth on the team in points with 49, despite playing in just 62 games.

That leaves everyone but captain Gabriel Landeskog accounted for, who Bednar acknowledged over the weekend likely won’t return in the regular season. The postseason remains somewhat of a possibility, but perhaps it’s not something fans should count in.

Regardless, even if Landeskog can’t come back, this will be the healthiest the Avalanche have been all year when the real tournament begins. And that’s great news, as it feels like the most injury-riddled season in their existence could finally be behind them.

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