Welcome back, Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot.
It will be weird seeing them in Toronto uniforms, especially Barrie, when the Avalanche play the Maple Leafs on Saturday at the Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche, of course, traded Barrie, Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft on July 1 for center Nazem Kadri, minor-league defenseman Calle Rosen and a third-round pick in 2020.
Kadri, who has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 22 games, was scheduled to meet the media Saturday afternoon, about 2 1-2 hours before the 5 p.m. MT start.
Barrie and Kerfoot spoke with reporters Friday at the University of Denver, where the Maple Leafs practiced.
Both players have eight points, but Kerfoot has five goals in 21 games – he recently missed three games to have some serious dental work done. Barrie didn’t score his first goal until Thursday in Arizona, his 24th game, a 3-1 win that ended a six-game winless streak (0-5-1).
It came under new coach Sheldon Keefe, who replaced Mike Babcock on Wednesday.
Barrie and Kerfoot were planning on having dinner Friday night with several Avalanche players. Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon remain especially close.
Barrie spent parts of eight seasons with the Avalanche and is the highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history with 307 points (75 goals, 232 assists) in 484 games.
He remains extremely popular in Colorado, and that includes with media members.
“Playing your first NHL game, scoring your first goal, your first playoffs, meeting new friends and stuff,… Barrie told reporters. “(Colorado) is such a beautiful spot and a great place to live. It’ll just be nice to get back there and see everyone.
“There’s no ill will there. I had a lot of great years there and met some wonderful people. I’m excited to go back and see everyone.…
While Barrie was looking forward to seeing MacKinnon away from the rink, he wasn’t so eager to see him on the ice.
“I’ve never played against him in my life … I’m sure he’ll take it easy on me,… Barrie said, hopefully.
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The Avalanche are playing their first home game since a 4-2 win against Columbus on Nov. 9. They went 3-2-0 on the recent road trip.
"We love coming home,… coach Jared Bednar said. “That was a hard road trip, not just the length of it and some of the teams that we played. Some of the (injury) circumstances that our team is facing and some of the adversity that we are facing, I would consider it a successful one.
“Looking forward to getting home. Doesn't make the job any easier, though, with Toronto coming in, as good a team as they are, but we have to refocus and get ready to play."
The Avalanche assigned forward Jayson Megna to the Colorado Eagles, so A.J. Greer might make his season debut. Bednar said Friday that Tyson Jost (upper-body injury) was doubtful to play against Toronto.
Possible lineup:
FORWARDS Andre Burakovsky -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Joonas Donskoi Valeri Nichushkin -- Nazem Kadri -- J.T. Compher Matt Nieto -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – T.J. Tynan A.J. Greer -- Vladislav Kamenev – Logan O’Connor
DEFENSE Samuel Girard -- Erik Johnson Ryan Graves -- Cale Makar Nikita Zadorov -- Ian Cole
GOALIES Philipp Grubauer Pavel Francouz