"It likely was a restless night Tuesday for a few Avalanche players because of today's 1 p.m. deadline for final cuts before the regular season starts.

NHL teams must trim their rosters to 23 active players by today. Among the Avalanche, there is genuine suspense about who won't make it. While the Avs have 27 players on the roster, three are expected to start the season Saturday on the injured list. They are defenseman Kyle Cumiskey (groin) and forwards Brandon Yip (broken forearm) and Mark Olver (head).

That means one player will be sent packing today, and the choice won't be easy for Avalanche management. Players believed to be on the bubble are rookie Stefan Elliott, Ryan Wilson, Joakim Lindstrom, Kevin Porter and TJ Galiardi.

At practice Tuesday, Porter and Galiardi were the spare forwards and not used on a regular line. Elliott, while considered an excellent prospect, could run into a numbers game on defense."