Avs first group at 9 am will be the NHL roster <\/p>\n
Makar is listed as an on-ice participant pic.twitter.com\/RlZydujO9I<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) September 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Here are some quick hit thoughts from today\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Before the second session took the ice, Mackenzie Blackwood was on the ice by himself, working with some of the coaches. He took slight shots while in a butterfly stance but nothing crazy.<\/p>\n Still, it\u2019s the next step in his rehab and progress. It sounds like things went well enough for him to be able to take that step.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going well, for sure,\u201d Bednar said on Blackwood\u2019s recovery. \u201cHe\u2019s doing more and more every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Bednar also said the target is still for Samuel Girard to be ready for opening night. But, \u201cI don\u2019t know about Blackwood.\u201d<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> We finally have power-play units! The first unit had Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Brock Nelson.<\/p>\n The second unit was Gabe Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Victor Olofsson, Brent Burns, and Devon Toews was the fifth piece, but he was alternating shifts with Ross Colton along the wall.<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> I like what they\u2019re doing with the talent split. I think Nichushkin is the better choice right now in that net-front spot ahead of Landeskog. But it\u2019s nice to know they finally have options.<\/p>\n Bednar said he loved how they looked, given that it was the first day they practiced special teams.<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> Landeskog is basically the only notable faceoff option on that second pair. It makes me think that if they were to swap Landeskog and Nichushkin, they might also benefit from swapping Nelson and Olofsson to give the second unit a center to take draws (if they\u2019re ever even on the ice for a faceoff).<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> I liked Colton more than Toews on that second unit. But again, options. It\u2019s great. Having Burns running the point on that unit will be a nice and different change from past years.<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong> I honestly wonder how much of an adjustment we\u2019re going to see with Dave Hakstol running the PP. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s going to reinvent the wheel all that much. He\u2019s got a lefty on one side in Nelson (or Olofsson), he\u2019s got Makar at the point, Nichushkin in front of the net, and both Necas and MacKinnon along the half wall opposite Nelson blasting one-timers.<\/p>\n I guess his biggest task will be finding the best way to utilize those two righties. They both command the puck and they\u2019ve both ran their own PP units in the past. Finding a way to maximize both of them on that top unit should be interesting to watch for a full camp and regular season.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0<\/strong>During one of the PP drills, MacKinnon shouted \u201cf*** this dogsh** ice!\u201d<\/p>\n The ice around the net was pretty torn up after about 15\u201320 minutes of PP drills at that point.<\/p>\n 8. <\/strong>I like seeing Gavin Brindley sticking around with the NHL group. He earned it. That\u2019s a player that I\u2019d like to see take advantage of Logan O\u2019Connor\u2019s early absence.<\/p>\n 9.<\/strong> It was nice to see both Burns and Makar back on the ice. Burns missed one training camp day but looked great today. Makar was fine after catching an elbow to the face on Sunday.<\/p>\n 10.\u00a0<\/strong>Bednar has liked Jack Drury at 3C so far, but also noted that Colton will get a look at center at some point during preseason\/camp.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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