Aube-kubel joins Colorado; Compher out for a month
One right-shot forward was added to the mix on Monday before the Avalanche announced another will be unavailable for the next month.
Nicolas Aube-kubel, a Canadian who was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia on Saturday, had his first practice with his new club before coach Jared Bednar announced J.T. Compher will be out long-term with an upper-body injury he sustained Saturday in a 6-2 win over San Jose.
On Monday, a day after traveling from Philadelphia, Aubekubel was the right-winger at practice on a line with Tyson Jost and Alex Newhook — a position Compher often played before stepping in to replace topline center Nathan Mackinnon in the past two games. Logan O’connor is now replacing Compher on the top line, with Mikko Rantanen moving to center and Gabe Landeskog remaining at left wing.
“He’s a right shot, hard-working winger, sturdy on the puck. He’s got good detail to his game,” Bednar said of Aubekubel, 25, who has played 102 career NHL games for the Flyers, including seven this season. “If he brings the work ethic we expect him to, then I think he can help our team and contribute, not just on the defensive side of it but also on the offensive side of things. He’s put up big numbers in junior, the American League.”
Aube-kubel played in 13 playoff games for the Flyers at the 2020 “bubble” in Toronto. He played juniors in Quebec for Val d’or Foreurs, where he had identical seasons of 38 goals in 61 games before signing with the Flyers in 2016.
Philadelphia made him its 2014 second-round draft pick (48th overall).
“I was really happy to get a call from Joe Sakic, telling me I’d be an Avalanche from now on. It was really cool,” Aube-kubel said after his first practice. “I played against Sam Girard and really liked his play in junior and saw Nate (Mackinnon), Cale (Makar) and Gabe at Biosteel camp (last summer), had a quick intro.”
Aube-kubel said Aube (pronounced O-bay) is French from Quebec, and Kubel is from Alberta. He goes by Nic.
Girard and fellow defensemen Bo Byram didn’t practice Monday. Bednar said Girard was taking a maintenance day and Byram remains in concussion protocol. The rookie was scratched in Saturday’s 6-2 win over San Jose a day after completing a full practice. Byram, 20, absorbed an elbow to the head in Thursday’s 7-1 win over Vancouver and didn’t return. Goalie Pavel Francouz continues to skate on his own. He is recovering from the lower-body injury he sustained in the preseason. Mackinnon is a week into what Bednar anticipated to be a three-week absence with a lower-body injury. … The Avs will again practice Tuesday before departing for Vancouver, where they begin a two-game road trip.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or @mikechambers