Josh Manson Injury Update: Colorado Avalanche Defenceman Facing Lengthy 8-Week Absence

Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson out two months with ankle injury© Instagram/@joshmanson42

Colorado Avalanche defenceman Josh Manson is out for roughly eight weeks after suffering an ankle injury Wednesday night against the New Jersey Devils. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed the timeline, a blow that removes the team's most physical blue-liner from a roster already navigating a competitive Central Division race. The Avalanche are 7-5-1 with 15 points through 13 games, tied for third in the division. Losing Manson for two months at this stage of the season is not ideal for a team still finding its footing.

Manson's Absence Exposes a Specific Gap on Colorado's Blue Line

What makes this injury particularly awkward for Colorado is not the points Manson produces. Four points in 13 games tells you very little about what he actually brings. The 35-year-old led the team with 25 hits and blocked 17 shots before getting hurt. He averaged nearly 17 minutes of ice time per game, and the Avalanche outscored opponents 14-9 at five-on-five with him on the ice. That is a meaningful number.

More than anything, Manson plays a style that nobody else on this roster replicates. He is the guy who throws his body around, scraps when the moment calls for it, and sets the physical tone in a way that polished skill players simply do not. The Avalanche have a lot of talent. They do not have many players who bring that particular edge. When Manson is in the lineup, opponents know someone is going to pay for taking liberties in the defensive zone. That deterrence disappears for the next two months.

Noah Juulsen Ready to Step Into a Bigger Role

The most likely candidate to absorb Manson's spot is Noah Juulsen, who has been Colorado's seventh defenseman all season. He is 29, right-handed, and has 217 NHL games on his resume. It is a limited body of work at the top-six level, but Bednar made clear he trusts what he has seen.

“He's played really well for us,” Bednar said. “I knew him a little bit, but you never really know what a guy is capable of, or what his strengths are until you see him in your organisation.”

The coach had more to say. “I love his attitude. He wants to do anything he can to help. He's a real positive guy and he's played great for us.”

That is a genuine endorsement. Juulsen has appeared in eight games this season in a depth role. Now he is likely looking at regular playing time for the better part of two months. Whether he can handle a heavier workload while the team manages the grind of a full NHL schedule remains the real question. The Avalanche have the depth to cope, but replacing Manson's specific brand of toughness is a different problem altogether.