NHL Rumors: Elliotte Friedman speculates Colorado Avalanche looking for forward additions to aid in 'miserable stretch'

The Colorado Avalanche are one of the most injury-affected teams in the NHL.

Currently, they are missing five key offensive players and two defensemen, which has severely impacted their roster depth. In total, seven players are sidelined due to various injuries, leaving the team in a precarious position as they try to stay competitive.

In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet's hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Avalanche are actively seeking forwards to alleviate the struggles caused by the injury crisis.

"You will not be surprised to hear Colorado is looking for forwards. Need to get through a miserable stretch where five of their top nine are out.

Notable absences for Colorado include Artturi Lehkonen, Miles Wood, Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin, Sean Behrens, and Tucker Poolman. Additionally, Valeri Nichushkin is sidelined due to a suspension and is expected to return in mid-November.

Cale Makar reflects on Colorado Avalanche's depleted lineup

Cale Makar addressed the challenges faced by the Colorado Avalanche due to their depleted lineup, emphasizing the confidence of the players who remain.

He acknowledged that while injuries are unfortunate, the team must focus on the group they have available and not dwell on those who are sidelined.

"I mean, we have confident guys filling all the spots. It's not we can't worry about who's out. Unfortunately, it's just we got to work with the group that we got in here so nobody's feeling sorry for us. We're not feeling sorry for ourselves.

Makar added:

"We definitely want to be healthy, but at the same time, we know this group in here is capable of winning regardless of who we have, so we just had to flip that mindset and make sure that we come out every single night regardless of the lineup and still make sure that we're competing and out working the other team."

The Avs are coming off with two heavy defeats to the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lighting. The club sits fifth in the Central Division with 10 points after 11 games and 21st in the league standings.

The Colorado Avalanche will hope to bounce back against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The puck drops at 8 p.m. ET.