Projected Lineup: Avalanche vs. Sabres

The Colorado Avalanche will be without its captain this afternoon as the team opens a four-game homestand at Pepsi Center against the Buffalo Sabres.
Head coach Jared Bednar announced following Friday's practice that Gabriel Landeskog will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury after the forward got hurt in Colorado's previous game on Thursday at the Dallas Stars.
Landeskog skated on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen for much of the season, including the past two games, but Bednar is expected to do a major shakeup of his forward combinations in the wake of Landeskog's absence.

At Friday's practice, MacKinnon centered a unit that included Derick Brassard and J.T. Compher on the wings while Mikko Rantanen played on an even-strength line with Carl Soderberg and Colin Wilson.
The Avalanche did not hold a morning skate today due to the 1 p.m. MT puck drop, so the club's exact lineup won't be known until closer to game time. That includes the starting goaltender.
Netminder Semyon Varlamov has played in 14 of the Avs' last 16 games, while fellow keeper Philipp Grubauer's last start was Sunday at the Anaheim Ducks.
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov is expected to be back in Colorado's lineup after missing Thursday's contest with an upper-body injury.
The Avs did make a roster move prior to today's game, reassigning forward Sheldon Dries to the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. Dries is expected to play in the Eagles' game this evening at the San Diego Gulls.
This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between Colorado and Buffalo, with the clubs last facing off on Oct. 11 in Western New York. The Avs will also host the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils during this homestay that stretches over a nine-day span.
Below is the Avalanche's projected lineup based on the forward line combinations and defensive pairings from Friday's practice. They are subject to change.

Forwards

18 Derick Brassard - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 37 J.T. Compher
22 Colin Wilson - 34 Carl Soderberg - 96 Mikko Rantanen\
13 Alexander Kerfoot - 17 Tyson Jost - 11 Matt Calvert
57 Gabriel Bourque - 26 Andrew Agozzino - 10 Sven Andrighetto

Defensemen

49 Samuel Girard - 6 Erik Johnson
28 Ian Cole - 4 Tyson Barrie
12 Patrik Nemeth or 16 Nikita Zadorov or 27 Ryan Graves

Goaltenders

1 Semyon Varlamov or 31 Philipp Grubauer
Injury Report:44 Mark Barberio (lower body), 83 Matt Nieto (lower body), 91 Vladislav Kamenev (shoulder), 92 Gabriel Landeskog (upper body)