MacKinnon missed Tuesday's game in Calgary with an upper-body injury that he suffered in a fight with Matt Dumba on Sunday. The Avalanche said that concern was "high" on Tuesday but it appears MacKinnon's re-evaluation went well and he should play vs. the Sharks. MacKinnon has picked up 27 points (13G / 14A) in his last 20 games.
Lehkonen will replace Nathan MacKinnon (upper-body) in the lineup on Tuesday. Lehkonen will skate on the second line with Alex Newhook and Andre Burakovskiy and has 29 points (13G / 16A) in 58 games this season.
MacKinnon's injury is believed to stem from his fight with Matt Dumba over the weekend. Head coach Jared Bednar said that concern is "high" in regards to MacKinnon's injury. Nazem Kadri will replace him on the first line and Artturi Lehkonen will make his Avalanche debut to take his place.
MacKinnon will not be available for a heavyweight tilt in Calgary on Tuesday. It's unclear exactly how the Avalanche lines will shake out but Devon Toews was on PP1 in the morning skate.
Attard was a third-round pick (No.72 overall) of the Flyers in 2019. The 23-year-old right-shot defenseman had 13 goals with 23 assists (36 points) in 39 games at Western Michigan University this season.
Lehkonen is still working through some immigration issues and is not eligible to play Friday vs. the Flyers. J.T Compher will remain on the Avalanche second line until Lehkonen is ready for his debut.
Lehkonen arrived in Colorado and was cleared to practice but his status for the game is uncertain due to immigration issues. Lehkonen will skate on the second line and second power-play unit if he's able to play.
Anton Khudobin and Ben Bishop are out for the season and Braden Holtby is currently banged up, so the Stars acquired Wedgewood to serve as Jake Oettinger's backup. The move suggests that Holtby could be out long-term. Wedgewood has had an up-and-down season in Arizona, going 1012-2 with a 3.16 GAA and .911 SV% in 26 games (23 starts).
Manson was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday and will immediately step into the Avalanche lineup on Tuesday. The Avalanche played a man down in their last game, so he won't replace anyone. Without a morning skate, it's unclear who he will skate next to in his debut.
Lehkonen missed Sunday's game in Philadelphia with an upper-body injury but he will be a game-time decision on Tuesday. Lehkonen will replace Ryan Poehling (out indefinitely) if he's able to play. Mathieu Perreault will likely draw in if Lehkonen is unavailable.
Manson is in the final year of a four-year deal with a $4.1M AAV cap-hit. The Ducks retained 50 percent of Manson's cap-hit and the 30-year-old will help solidify Colorado's bottom-4. Manson projects to play with Samuel Girard when the Avalanche are fully healthy.
