Josh Manson Returns Tonight: Avalanche's Defensive Anchor Poised to Swing Series in Pivotal Game 4 vs Wild Manson is slated to rejoin Colorado’s lineup for Game 4

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson is expected to rejoin the lineup tonight as Colorado faces the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their Western Conference Second-Round series, delivering a critical boost to a blue line that has been stretched thin by injuries. Manson has missed the past four contests with an upper-body injury, but he skated with the regular pairings during Monday’s morning session in St. Paul and was cleared after taking full contact, according to head coach Jared Bednar. His return comes at a perfect time: fellow defenseman Sam Malinski was ruled out for Game 4, while Artturi Lehkonen remains sidelined up front, leaving Colorado short on puck-moving options and penalty-kill specialists. The 34-year-old veteran logged 19:42 per game during the regular season and ranked second among Avalanche defensemen in blocked shots. Bednar praised Manson’s physical presence and ability to “set the tone early,” qualities Colorado lacked during a bruising Game 3 that featured a string of heavy hits and a late-game scrum. Colorado leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, but the Wild have generated sustained ozone pressure by cycling below the dots—an area where Manson’s reach and net-front strength could tilt momentum. He is expected to reunite with Bowen Byram, restoring a pairing that posted a 56.4 percent expected-goals share during the regular season. Beyond five-on-five play, Manson’s return should stabilize a penalty kill that slid to 67 percent through the first three games. He logged the second-most shorthanded minutes on the team before the injury and owns a career PK goals-against rate of 5.6 per 60—nearly a goal better than the league average for defensemen. Teammate Nathan MacKinnon said the group feeds off Manson’s “calm, mean streak,” adding that the defenseman’s first pass accelerates Colorado’s trademark rush game. “When he’s out, we spend an extra second in our zone. When he’s in, we’re going north,” MacKinnon noted after the skate. Manson’s availability also allows Bednar to slide Josh Morrissey to the third pair, creating matchup flexibility against Minnesota’s top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matthew Boldy that has combined for four goals in the last two outings. The Avalanche are turning to Mackenzie Blackwood in goal for a second straight night, but the bench boss hinted that a sturdier blue line in front of the crease could reduce the 35-shot barrage Blackwood faced in Game 3. While Colorado welcomes Manson back, the Wild might counter with a lineup tweak of their own: defenseman Jonas Brodin left Monday’s practice early and is a game-time decision. If Brodin can’t go, rookie Declan Chisholm would draw in, marking a potential mismatch the Avalanche could exploit down low. Fantasy and prop-bet outlook: With power-play quarterback Cale Makar drawing heavy attention, Manson’s cannon from the right point could see immediate second-unit duty. Look for a shots-on-goal line set at 1.5; Manson hit that mark in eight of his last 10 games before the injury. Game 4 puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Xcel Energy Center. A win moves Colorado within one victory of its third conference-final appearance in five seasons. For the Avalanche, that road now runs through a healthy—and hungry—Josh Manson, back just in time to anchor a defense looking to slam the door on Minnesota’s comeback hopes.