Avs head coach Jared Bednar thinks all players will be available for Game 1

Jared Bednar delivered good news about key Avs players on Sunday afternoon.

He thinks all his guys will be available for Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday to begin the Western Conference Final.

Bednar says “I think everyone’s going to be available for Game 1, but we’ll see” regarding injured guys.

Asked earlier if Malinski is trending towards being available for G1 and he said “yes.”

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) May 17, 2026

Defenseman Sam Malinski and forward Artturi Lehkonen missed both Games 4 and 5 in a thrilling series win over the Minnesota Wild.

Superstar Cale Makar looked beat up in the finale, briefly leaving the game before returning for the rest of third period and overtime in Game 5. Makar is dealing with a hip injury and a shoulder injury and hasn’t practiced the last couple of days.

Veteran Brent Burns has been absent as well, but also appears to be trending in the right direction. Malinski practiced on Sunday while Makar, Lehkonen and Burns were not spotted.

The Avs still need to win eight more games to hoist the Stanley Cup, but this is the norm for May. Players are fighting lingering injuries, with a week off in between games obviously huge.

Colorado is still soaking in its epic victory and comeback against the Wild in Game 5, but also shifting to the focus to Vegas.

On Monday the Avs will be off, before likely returning to practice on Tuesday where the status of Makar, Lehkonen, Burns and Malinski should become more clear.

Regardless this is a good update from Bednar. It’ll be paramount all or most these guys take the ice against the Golden Knights as a potential championship parade creeps closer.

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