Deen's Daily: Utah's injuries; New Jersey brings players back; Find avalanche consistency

For the first time ever, the Avalanche will face the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center. Before the move, the Arizona Coyotes seemed to give the Avs problems every time they played. Even in the 2021-22 season, when Colorado was on its way to the Stanley Cup and Arizona was on the outside, they played well against the Avs every time.

Utah has several injuries that have hurt its lineup – more on that later. But the Avs are starting to find some consistency in their lines as they wait for the return of several offensive weapons. The team announced Wednesday that 19-year-old forward Calum Ritchie has been sent back to the Ontario Hockey League. After seven games and one goal, Ritchie played less than eight minutes in Colorado's final game. He started the season in the top six before being demoted to the third line and eventually becoming one of the worst-playing strikers.

The experience will only help Ritchie, who has a chance to dominate again for the Oshawa Generals before qualifying for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. He will likely be the No. 1 center for the Canadiens.

Nine years ago, the Avs kept 18-year-old Mikko Rantanen on the roster at the start of the season. He played nine games and had zero points before being sent back to the AHL. He returned the following season and scored 20 goals before breaking into his second full season as a points-per-game player. I'm not sure Ritchie will have the same opportunities to develop as quickly in the NHL, but that first taste of action against the best in the world can really help a player when he returns to the big club for his second year.

Around the NHL

Utah Hockey Club: Starting with Colorado's opponent on Thursday night, the Utah Hockey Club recently announced two serious long-term injuries. John Marino and Sean Durzi – two parts of Utah's top four on the blueline – will be out for months. Durzi underwent shoulder surgery and is not expected to be back for another six months, while Marino needs three to four months to recover from lower back surgery.

The Andre Tourigny-coached club will look to resolve its blueline issues internally before looking elsewhere. Standout young defenseman Maveric Lamoureux was called up on Wednesday and is expected to make his NHL debut against Colorado.

New Jersey Hockey now: Marino's former club, the New Jersey Devils, are on the other end of the injury news. Both Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes have been activated from IR and will return to Detroit on Thursday. Neither has played a game this season. For Pesce, it is his debut for New Jersey after being signed as an unrestricted free agent.

Detroit Hockey now: Speaking of Detroit: The Red Wings brought together Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson. This towering duo will likely be the top couple for years to come.

Boston Hockey now: The Bruins are still trying to find their pace on offense. They were 1-1-1 on a recent three-game road trip, with their only win coming against the Avalanche. Boston was defeated 4-0 by the Nashville Predators, who finally got their first win after an 0-5-0 start.