Nathan MacKinnon was activated off injured reserve and will be in the Colorado Avalanche lineup when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Out the past 11 games with an upper-body injury, MacKinnon had his status firmed up prior to puck drop. He hasn’t played since leaving a 5-3 loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 5.
“He’s close too. Really close,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said earlier Saturday. “When he tells me he’s ready to go, he’ll play. Until then, we’re on hold.”
MacKinnon, 27, left the game earlier this month after blocking a shot and taking a hit along the boards from Flyers forward Scott Laughton.
MacKinnon led Colorado with 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) through 23 games when he was injured.
Last season, MacKinnon had a playoff-best 13 goals in 20 games while helping Colorado become Stanley Cup champions. He agreed to an eight-year, $100.8 million extension before the season that starts with the 2023-24 campaign.
He has posted 682 points (250 goals, 432 assists) in 661 games since Colorado drafted him No. 1 overall in 2013.
–Field Level Media