Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Possible return Friday

Nichushkin (lower body) will not play Thursday against Minnesota but it's possible he will play Friday against Edmonton, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.

Nichushkin has missed the past three games because of the injury -- he's played 48 games this season, recording 26 goals and 24 assists. The 29-year-old will likely be slotted into the first or second line when he returns to action. He will likely also jump onto the No. 1 power-play unit when he returns -- he's picked up 15 of his 26 goals with the man advantage this season.