Morning Skate Report: Andrighetto Set to Face His Former Team

For the first time since the Colorado Avalanche acquired him during the 2016-17 season, forward Sven Andrighetto will face his former club tonight at Pepsi Center.
The Zurich, Switzerland, native was drafted 86th overall in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He played the first 83 games of his NHL career with the Habs before he was traded to the Avs on March 1, 2017.

Andrighetto recorded 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 19 games after joining Colorado, which led all Avalanche skaters from March 1 until the end of the campaign.
"I am pretty excited. Obviously last year I missed both games against them due to injury, which was disappointing, but tonight it's going to be fun," Andrighetto said after Colorado's optional morning skate. "Obviously I have some old friends over there, I have some great memories that I made over my career in Montreal, and I am excited to play against them."
Andrighetto was out with a lower-body ailment for both of Colorado's outings against the Canadiens in the 2017-18 campaign, a series that the two teams split.
Despite being limited to 50 games last year due to the injury, Andrighetto set a career high with eight goals and his 22 points were the second most of his career.

"Here I got the chance to play more minutes," Andrighetto said of what changes came with being part of his new team. "We got younger, we play a fast game, size doesn't really matter anymore here, and we want to play a fast-paced game and I fit right in there I think."
He missed six games to open the current campaign with a lower-body injury and scored in his season debut on Oct. 18 at New Jersey. Andrighetto has spent time on different forward lines this year, but he has recently played on a combo with sophomore forwards Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher.
"I have liked what the Jost - Compher - Andrighetto line has done. I think since we have moved Andrighetto up there, he has been an impact player for us," said head coach Jared Bednar. "They were a little bit quiet last game compared to their previous two or three, so we will see what tonight brings and see how they are skating and see what type of energy those guys have."
Since 1995-96, the Avalanche has an 18-9-3 record against Montreal, including a 11-2-1 mark on home ice.
"They are really fast, they play fast and they work hard," Andrighetto said of Montreal. "They also got some veteran guys in there that have a lot of experience. We don't face them too much, we only play them twice, but it is going to be a fun matchup tonight for sure."

MIKKO'S 200TH NHL OUTING

The matchup against the Canadiens will be the 200th in the NHL for the Avalanche's Mikko Rantanen. Through his first 199 outings, the Nousiainen, Finland, native has 178 points (64 goals, 114 assists).
So far this campaign, Rantanen leads the league with 56 points (15 goals, 41 assists), the second most ever by an Avalanche player through the first 34 games of a season, Peter Forsberg had 58 in 1995-96.
The 22-year-old was the first skater in the NHL to reach the 50-point mark this season, joining Forsberg (1997-98) as the only players in franchise history to be the first in the NHL to 50 points in a campaign. Rantanen was also the first in the league to both the 30 and 40-point milestones this season.
He has held at least a share of the NHL scoring lead for each of the last 57 days since the morning of Oct. 23. He has been the outright leader for 51 of those 57 days, including the last 34.
"I just thought he could be a really good player, he is one of the best in the league right now and last year he was too," Nathan MacKinnon said of Rantanen. "He is so big and dominant and the way he sees the ice and his vision, it's special. It is a treat for me and Gabe to play with him and for everyone else as well."
Rantanen and his linemates Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon have combined for 150 points (58 goals, 92 assists) in 34 contests this season. It is the most total points of any three teammates through 34 games since Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza also combined for 150 with the Ottawa Senators in 2005-06.

KERFOOT RETURNS TO LINEUP

Second-year forward Alex Kerfoot will return to Colorado's lineup tonight after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury. He will be on a trio with Gabriel Bourque and Colin Wilson.
"Everything feels good. Obviously when you are not skating for a couple days it takes a little while to get back up to speed, but I feel good on the ice," Kerfoot said after Colorado's practice on Tuesday. "It's just about getting the conditioning back and I have done a pretty good job of that the last few days."
Through 30 contests this campaign, the 24-year-old has 18 points (four goals, 14 assists).
View: Avalanche Projected Lineup vs. Canadiens