The Avalanche got some positive news on Sunday as goalie Scott Wedgewood was reactivated from injury reserve. Wedgewood was hurt against the Buffalo back on Jan. 2 on a controversial play where Avs forward Parker Kelly made contact with Sabres forward Zach Benson, who fell onto the goalie.
Wedgewood instantly went down and remained on his back while writhing in pain. Benson picked up the loose puck and scored. The goal was allowed to stand.
At the time, the Avs were hoping for the best but expecting the worst. They feared that Wedgewood had suffered a high ankle sprain, which would’ve kept him out of the lineup for roughly six weeks. It was later confirmed that his lower-body injury had not been as bad as they thought.
With Wedgewood back, and the Avalanche preparing for a five-game homestand, when should the backup netminder play next? And how often should he play for that matter?
When he was first acquired, Wedgewood started four of five games after making his debut in a relief appearance in the first matchup against the Sabres. But once Mackenzie Blackwood joined the fold, Colorado’s new No. 1 netminder got the nod for six of the next seven games before Wedgewood’s injury in the second Buffalo game.
Blackwood came in to finish that game and has played in four of five games since.
The Avalanche’s homestand begins on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. They’ll play every other day, also facing off against the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets.
Considering the importance of the last four games — especially the three against Central Division foes, is the New York game an appropriate time for Wedgewood to get back in goal?
Head coach Jared Bednar often prefers to allow ample practice time for players returning from injury before slotting them in. But perhaps he’ll reconsider for a goalie.
I also wonder if Blackwood has been somewhat overplayed since coming to Colorado. Even if Wedgewood starts on Tuesday, should Blackwood get another four consecutive starts after that? He’s already started 10 of the last 13 games and played in 11.
Wedgewood has done a great job in his short time with the Avs. If the time away for the injury doesn’t affect his play, I’d be curious to see if the tandem can get to a place where Wedgewood is started a third of every game.
We’ll see how it plays out in the coming weeks. If anything, Blackwood getting a bulk of the starts heading into the 4 Nations Faceoff wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world given the lengthy break before the last push towards the playoffs.
The Avalanche got some positive news on Sunday as goalie Scott Wedgewood was reactivated from injury reserve. Wedgewood was hurt against the Buffalo back on Jan. 2 on a controversial play where Avs forward Parker Kelly made contact with Sabres forward Zach Benson, who fell onto the goalie.
Wedgewood instantly went down and remained on his back while writhing in pain. Benson picked up the loose puck and scored. The goal was allowed to stand.
At the time, the Avs were hoping for the best but expecting the worst. They feared that Wedgewood had suffered a high ankle sprain, which would’ve kept him out of the lineup for roughly six weeks. It was later confirmed that his lower-body injury had not been as bad as they thought.
With Wedgewood back, and the Avalanche preparing for a five-game homestand, when should the backup netminder play next? And how often should he play for that matter?
When he was first acquired, Wedgewood started four of five games after making his debut in a relief appearance in the first matchup against the Sabres. But once Mackenzie Blackwood joined the fold, Colorado’s new No. 1 netminder got the nod for six of the next seven games before Wedgewood’s injury in the second Buffalo game.
Blackwood came in to finish that game and has played in four of five games since.
The Avalanche’s homestand begins on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. They’ll play every other day, also facing off against the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets.
Considering the importance of the last four games — especially the three against Central Division foes, is the New York game an appropriate time for Wedgewood to get back in goal?
Head coach Jared Bednar often prefers to allow ample practice time for players returning from injury before slotting them in. But perhaps he’ll reconsider for a goalie.
I also wonder if Blackwood has been somewhat overplayed since coming to Colorado. Even if Wedgewood starts on Tuesday, should Blackwood get another four consecutive starts after that? He’s already started 10 of the last 13 games and played in 11.
Wedgewood has done a great job in his short time with the Avs. If the time away for the injury doesn’t affect his play, I’d be curious to see if the tandem can get to a place where Wedgewood is started a third of every game.
We’ll see how it plays out in the coming weeks. If anything, Blackwood getting a bulk of the starts heading into the 4 Nations Faceoff wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world given the lengthy break before the last push towards the playoffs.
Either way, Wedgewood returning is great news.
Wedgewood is expected to rejoin the team on the ice for Monday’s practice at Family Sports. Trent Miner was reassigned to the AHL.
