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Valeri Nichushkin returns to Denver; Kaapo Kahkonen arrives for Avalanche

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Valeri Nichushkin returns to Denver; Kaapo Kahkonen arrives for Avalanche


Valeri Nichushkin has returned to Denver, while goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen has arrived, the Colorado Avalanche announced Saturday.

Nichushkin remains in Stage 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program but will be skating and working out away from the team. General manager Chris MacFarland said before the regular season began that Nichushkin was expected to return to Colorado from Russia near the end of this month.

While being placed into Stage 3 of the program May 13 — the day of Game 4 against the Dallas Stars during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs — Nichushkin was suspended for “at least six months.” He will be eligible to apply for reinstatement next month, but will also have to show he’s satisfied the requirements of Stage 3. MacFarland said last month that all reports he’s received from the program’s doctors have been positive.

Nichushkin had the best season of his career in 2023-24, despite playing only 54 games because he missed a chunk of it while in Stage 2 of the player assistance program. He had 28 goals and 53 points, then added nine goals and an assist in eight playoff games before the suspension.

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The Avs claimed Kahkonen on waivers Oct. 11 from the Winnipeg Jets. The goaltender had been waiting in Canada for the immigration process to play out, but he joined the Avalanche for practice Saturday.

Kahkonen has a .899 career save percentage in 139 NHL games, including a .898 mark last season in 37 contests split between San Jose and New Jersey.

The Avalanche has a team save percentage of .780, which is last in the NHL. The gap between Colorado and the second-worst team, Nashville, is larger than the difference between the Predators and the Kings, who are 19th.

Alexandar Georgiev has started all five games but was pulled from the first two. His save percentage is at .811 after stopping 17 of 20 shots Friday night in the club’s first win of the season. Justus Annunen, who had a .928 save percentage in 14 games last season, has allowed four goals on 17 shots (.765) in his two relief appearances.

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Denver, CO

Colorado weather: Icy roads, light snow along I-70 corridor; cold, windy conditions in Denver

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Colorado weather: Icy roads, light snow along I-70 corridor; cold, windy conditions in Denver


Morning drivers can expect icy roads and light snow along the Interstate 70 Corridor in the mountains on Tuesday morning, National Weather Service forecasters said.

Summit County and other high-elevation areas could see another 1 to 3 inches of snowfall Tuesday morning, bringing the total snow count up to 4 to 8 inches, NWS forecasters said.

“Lesser amounts to the north, but a nice bonus for ski country,” forecasters said.

The snow could still make its way to the Denver area before 11 a.m. Tuesday and Aurora, Centennial, Golden, Highlands Ranch, Littleton and Parker could see less than an inch of snow accumulation, according to NWS snow forecasts. Snow isn’t expected to stick anywhere else in the metro area.

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Denver and the Eastern Plains are also forecast to see windy, cold weather throughout Tuesday as temperatures drop 10 to 15 degrees below normal, forecasters said.

The Denver area is forecast to see temperature highs in the mid-30s Tuesday before dropping into the teens overnight, according to NWS forecasters.

“Temperatures will fall to the coldest readings so far this season tonight across southern Colorado,” NWS forecasters said.

In areas of the Eastern Plains not covered by snow, fire danger will be elevated Tuesday due to the gusty winds and dry air, NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook.

Strong winds of up to 60 mph will continue Wednesday over the Front Range and foothills and dry weather will continue through Saturday, forecasters said in the outlook.

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Starting Sunday, multiple storm systems will bring snow to Colorado that could last through mid-week — prime time for Thanksgiving-related travel.

How much snow will fall ahead of Thanksgiving, how long it will last and whether it will stick mostly in the mountains or spread across the Front Range and Eastern Plains remains unknown, forecasters said.

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Denver Broncos rookie Audric Estimé says he doesn’t want to overuse his hurdling abilities

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Denver Broncos rookie Audric Estimé says he doesn’t want to overuse his hurdling abilities


In the second half at Sunday’s Broncos game, a rookie running back momentarily took all of the Denver crowd’s breath away. Audric Estimé caught a pass thrown by fellow rookie Bo Nix and hurdled an Atlanta Falcons defender, but the play got called back because of a penalty.

Atlanta Falcons v Denver Broncos
Running back Audric Estime of the Denver Broncos hurdles Clark Phillips III of the Atlanta Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday.

Brooke Sutton / Getty Images


Cornerback Clark Phillips III came in low to try to tackle Estimé, who had the ball tucked in his left arm, and Estimé jumped high in the air and floated right over Phillips. Another Falcons defender then tackled him as he was returning to Earth.

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See the play below:

The play got called back because of an unnecessary roughness penalty on a Broncos offensive lineman.

audric-estime.jpg

CBS

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On Xfinity Monday Live, CBS Colorado host Romi Bean joked that he should be called “Air Estimé.” She asked him if he knew ahead of time that he was going to make his stunning leap.

“No I did not,” Estimé said. “It was kind of just like a reaction, honestly.”

“I saw (Phillips) kind of put his head down and close his eyes and that’s something I kind of did in college and I was like ‘This is my opportunity to do it,’” said Estimé, who played for Notre Dame in college.

“Have you always had hops?” Bean asked.

“I’d say so. I played basketball. I was grabbing rim in eighth grade,” he said. “I had pretty good vertical … like 30 and a half.”

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Bean asked Estimé if he might flash the hurdle again in an upcoming game.

“We’ll see. I just can’t be doing it too much,” Estimé said.

Estime saw his first NFL action in Week 1 against the Seahawks, but he wound up with an ankle injury and missed several games after that while he was on IR. It’s only in recent weeks that he has started to get more work in the Broncos backfield. He had 14 carries for 53 yards against the Chiefs, and on Sunday he had 6 rushes for 16 yards plus three catches for 9 yards. And after an early fumble, he has been more cautious with the football.

“Once you change your perspective of what that ball represents, you kind of hold it differently,” he said. “Coach (Sean) Payton really told me like, this ball represents everyone’s dreams. Thinking of it, it’s like something I’ve done my whole life. And playing at the highest level is my dream, and carrying that ball my whole life is what got me there. So I just, no matter what, I just have to hold onto it.

“Ball security trumps yards, and I have to just keep improving and I believe I will.”

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Estimé and the Broncos are now preparing for the Las Vegas Raiders. You can watch the game on Sunday afternoon on CBS Colorado. 





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Denver Pro Bowler Patrick Surtain II on rookie QB Bo Nix: ‘It looks like MVP right now’

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Denver Pro Bowler Patrick Surtain II on rookie QB Bo Nix: ‘It looks like MVP right now’


Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix were opponents in the 2019 and 2020 Iron Bowls. Now they’re teammates on the Denver Broncos.

Surtain has been a first-team All-Pro selection once and a Pro Bowl pick twice, and he currently leads the NFL in interception-return yards in his fourth season since Denver selected him at No. 9 in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Nix is a rookie, but he’s begun to attract accolades 11 starts after becoming the 12th pick in the NFL Draft on April 25. And Surtain foresees more recognition ahead for the Broncos quarterback.

“He’s him,” Surtain said. “I told him, ‘Man, you’re trying to win MVP. It’s not even looking like Offensive Rookie of the Year. It looks like MVP right now.’

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“But, man, it’s a testament to him. He puts the work in each and every week, and it shows with his preparation. He stays after hours to watch film, perfect his game. This is what you see from him. When you have games like this, it’s not a surprise because he puts the work in fundamentally each and every week.”

Surtain made the remark after the Broncos had beaten the Atlanta Falcons 38-6 on Sunday. Nix reached career highs in passing yards, touchdown passes, completion percentage and passing-efficiency rating as he completed 28-of-33 passes for 307 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed 84.8 percent of his passes and posted a passer rating of 145.0.

In his NFL debut, Nix completed 26-of-42 passes for 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The former Pinson Valley High School star completed 61.9 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 47.5 in a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.

“Our league, you’re learning each week,” Denver coach Sean Payton said, “and then pretty soon, you’re like, ‘I belong here.’ And it’s clear he belongs here.”

Nix became the first rookie in NFL history with 300 passing yards, four TD passes, no interceptions and a completion percentage of more than .750 in the same game on Sunday.

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“It’s a lot of fun to be able to be a part of, a lot of fun to watch him go out there and have fun,” Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton said after Sunday’s game. “You can tell he’s like a kid, man. He’s just enjoying himself. And for your quarterback to be out there enjoying himself but not panic – there’s not one ounce of panic that goes upon him no matter what part of the game we’re in. It’s a lot of fun.”

Broncos safety P.J. Locke has his award projection for Nix set a little lower than Surtain, pitching the quarterback for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after Sunday’s game.

“If it’s not, we got to go talk to somebody,” Locke said. “But, no, let me scale back. We still got a whole bunch of games, so I don’t want to mess up nothing. Keep taking it week by week. But I hope so. …

“Bo is not your average rookie, I would say. You can just tell, like, his confidence is growing. His leadership is growing. And it’s rubbing off on a lot of people. He’s going out there executing, getting that offense going, and it’s a fun sight to see. I think everybody feeds off of it.”

At 6-5, Denver is in the AFC’s final playoff spot in the current standings.

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The Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders at 3:05 p.m. CST Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Denver defeated the Raiders 34-18 on Oct. 6 as Nix threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the “Ferris Bueller” game. Las Vegas has a 2-8 record after its 34-19 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.





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