Saturday: It was a short-lived recall for Nielsen. Following their game this afternoon (in which he didn’t play), the Avs announced (Twitter link) that he has been sent back to the Eagles.
Friday: The Avalanche have added some extra depth up front in advance of their game against the Rangers on Saturday. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Tristen Nielsen from AHL Colorado.
The 25-year-old started the season on a minor league deal but a strong showing early on with the Eagles resulted in the Avs converting him to a two-year, two-way NHL pact that carries a $775K cap charge. This is now his third recall since signing that contract in late October.
Nielsen has played in four games with the Avalanche, picking up an assist, three shots on goal, and nine hits in 6:18 of playing time per night on their fourth line. He has been much more productive with the Eagles, tallying 10 goals and five assists in 18 outings in the minors.
Colorado already had a full 23-player roster following Wednesday’s recall of Trent Miner from the Eagles with Scott Wedgewood injured. Accordingly, another roster move needed to be made before officially adding Nielsen to the roster but that was not announced by the team. If Wedgewood is going to miss some time, he could land on injured reserve while Gavin Brindley – though returning soon – is eligible to retroactively be placed on IR.