Bring me New York Islanders center Brock Nelson before the looming NHL trade deadline. Or don’t come crying to me when Colorado coach Jared Bednar and the Avs do what they do best: Get dumped out of the NHL playoffs in time to book a cottage on the lake for Memorial Day.

There was arguably nothing to be excited about for the Avalanche coming out of the lengthy 4 Nations Face-Off break. And it was unfortunate because they worked so hard last month after the Mikko Rantanen bombshell to get the locker room back in order and go on a 4-1-0 run.

Head coach Jared Bednar wouldn't confirm Nichushkin's return to the lineup but it appears the winger is trending in the right direction. For now, Nichushkin remains on injured reserve and will need to be activated before he can hit the ice.

After practice on Tuesday, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was coy, not wanting to spill the beans to media. As it turns out he was saving the news for the folks on Altitude Sports Radio, as he let them know Wednesday morning that,

Jared Bednar and Nathan MacKinnon both said the team had no passengers. That’s not a new concept, nor is it the first time we’ve heard the coach and star center use that phrase. But this season? It very well just might be.

Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar made a strong admission after a big win over Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins. What did he reveal about his NHL team’s performance?

Martin Necas and Jack Drury have settled in nicely, both on and off the ice, with the club. The short-term return on the NHL’s biggest in-season trade in two decades has been nothing but positive. The raw emotions of losing a core player and beloved teammate, Mikko Rantanen, have subsided, because life in the NHL goes on.

Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landeskog explained his thought process amid a long and tough recovery from his injury.

Blockbuster trades like the one that occurred between the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes just over a month ago are rare in the NHL.

Chris MacFarland has tinkered with his roster plenty, but the Avs don’t appear to be adding the captain to it anytime soon.

DENVER -- Artturi Lehkonen scored twice for the Colorado Avalanche in a 4-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena on Tuesday.