Cogliano missed the Avalanche season opener with a neck injury but is expected to replace Kurtis MacDermid on the fourth line on Saturday. The veteran winger is a solid depth piece and penalty killer but carries no fantasy value. He had 19 points (10G / 9A) in 79 games last year.

Blackwood will see his first action between the pipes as a member of the San Jose Sharks after signing with them in the offseason. Blackwood struggled in his last three seasons with the New Jersey Devils, recording a cumulative 3.19 GAA and .897 SV% across 82 games. He will be hard-pressed to improve those numbers on a Sharks team that seems destined to be at the bottom end of the NHL standings this season. To make matters worse, Blackwood will be facing the high-powered offence of the Colorado Avalanche, who are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

Now in his fourth season as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, in which he has recorded 139 points (29 G / 110A) in 200 games, Toews has been rewarded a seven-year, $50.75 million contract extension. Toews has solidified himself as one of the league's premiere all-around defensemen and has secured himself a lucrative contract that will go through to his age-37 season.

Cogliano has been out since April 28th due to a neck injury he sustained during the 2022-23 playoffs and has been labelled out for Colorado's opening game vs. Los Angeles after originally being a game-time decision. The 36-year-old veteran is entering his 17th NHL season and had 10 goals, nine assists, 85 SOG, 44 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in 79 games played in 2022-23.

Ludvig was the 69th overall selection of the Florida Panthers in the NHL Entry Draft in 2019. He is unlikely to see much, if any, playing time in the NHL this season but adds some nice organizational depth for the Penguins' defensive core. Last season, Ludvig played 54 games for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL where he recorded 17 points (3G / 14A).

Francouz has been placed on the injured reserve as he continues to recover from a groin injury. Francouz battled injuries last season as well, recording a 2.61 GAA and .915 SV% while playing in only 16 games (8-7-1). Justus Annunen will serve as the backup to Alexandar Georgiev to start the season as Francouz's timeline for return remains uncertain.

Wagner signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado in the offseason and is expected to miss at least the first three months of the 2023-24 season due to a ruptured Achilles. The 32-year-old forward had 19 goals, 12 assists, 69 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus with the Providence Bruins (AHL) in 2022-23 and was hoping to make a push for a final roster position on the Avalanche prior to his injury.

Cogliano has not played since Game 6 of Colorado's opening series vs. Seattle in the 2022-23 playoffs due to a neck injury and is day-to-day to start training camp but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. The 36-year-old veteran forward finished 2022-23 with 10 goals, nine assists, 85 SOG, 44 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in his second season in Colorado. 2023-24 will mark his 17th NHL season.

Makar will miss the start of training camp with an undisclosed injury but is expected to be back on the ice next week and should be good to go for the start of the regular season. The 24-year-old one-time Norris Trophy Winner had 17 goals, 49 assists, 176 SOG, 30 PIMs and a +16 plus/minus through 60 games played in 2022-23 and will be hoping to complete a full 82-game season for the first time in his career this year.

Francouz was 8-7-1 with a .915 SV%, and 2.61 GAA in 2022-23 with Colorado but is likely to not be ready for the regular season as he had off-season adductor surgery with serious concern that he could miss "some time". The 33-year-old netminder has had his career decimated by consistent injuries since coming to the NHL in 2018-19 and has never appeared in more than 34 games (2019-20). The Avalanche have made it known that they are in the hunt for a replacement back-up goaltender while Francouz nurses his latest ailment.

Stienburg was drafted by Colorado in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft (63rd overall) and has signed the center to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 22-year-old made his professional debut in 2022-23 with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) as he had an assist and five PIMs across a brief four-game appearance. Prior to the Eagles, he closed out his NCAA career with Cornell (NCAA) where he had two goals, five assists, 18 PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus through 18 games.

Colton had 16 goals, 16 assist, 153 SOG, 50 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 81 games with Tampa Bay in 2022-23 and has signed a four-year, $16 million contract ($4,000,000 AAV) with Colorado. The 26-year-old centre was acquired for a 2023 second-round pick back in June and brings 47 goals and 83 points across 190 games played to the Avalanche.

Ludvig had three goals, 14 assists, 72 PIMs and a +18 plus/minus through 54 games with Charlotte (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers. The 22-year-old defensemen was Florida's 2019 third-round pick (69th overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut after three seasons in the AHL.

Mandolese was 1-2-0 with a 3.29 GAA and .916 SV% with Ottawa in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension ($775,000 AAV). The 22-year-old netminder was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2018 draft (157th overall) and made his NHL debut in 2022-23 after playing in both the AHL and ECHL in the same season.

Phillips finished fifth in AHL scoring with Calgary (AHL) in 2022-23 with 36 goals, 40 points, 12 PIMs and a +16 plus/minus through 66 games and has signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Washington Capitals. The 25-year-old right-winger was Calgary's sixth-round pick (166th overall) in 2016 and has played in three career NHL games, failing to pick up a point.

Holm was 18-11-4 with a .911 SV% and 2.67 GAA with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado worth $775,000. The 24-year-old goaltender was Winnipeg's 2017 sixth-round pick (167th overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut since heading to North America from the SHL in 2021-22.