Francouz (groin) announced his retirement Friday, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports.
Francouz had a tough time recovering from offseason groin surgery and was unable to play at all during the 2023-24 campaign. He returned home to his native Czechia in November and never returned to North America. The 34-year-old netminder last played a year ago, allowing four goals on 23 shots in a 5-4 overtime win over Anaheim. Until he was injured, Francouz was sharing the top job in Colorado with Alexandar Georgiev.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Done for season
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The Avalanche announced Sunday that Francouz (groin) will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
Francouz underwent surgery during the offseason, and his rehab will take longer than expected. The team also announced that he'll be returning to the Czech Republic to be with his family. The 33-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Francouz posted a 2.61 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 16 games in 2022-23.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Out indefinitely
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General manager Chris MacFarland said Francouz (groin) is out indefinitely in a press conference Wednesday, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports reports.
Francouz is already on long-term injured reserve, but it sounds like his absence could extend deep into the season. Ivan Prosvetov and Justus Annunen will provide depth behind starter Alexandar Georgiev, who can be expected to see a heavy workload.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Moves to LTIR
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Francouz (groin) was placed on long-term injured reserve Tuesday, per CapFriendly.
Francouz will be required to miss at least 10 games and 24 days of the 2023-24 season due to his placement on LTIR. Still, he could be out of action beyond that period after undergoing an adductor procedure during the offseason. The Avalanche currently have Ivan Prosvetov, who was claimed off waivers from Arizona on Monday, and Justus Annunen, who was recalled from the minors Tuesday, on the roster behind No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Not expected for opener
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Colorado head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Monday that Francouz (groin) is not expected to be ready for the regular season, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Francouz was recently added to injured reserve, so this development should not come as a surprise. Justus Annunen is expected to start one of the final two preseason games to show he can handle the backup duties to primary goalie Alexandar Georgiev.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Surfaces on IR
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Francouz (groin) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, per CBS.
Francouz is still recovering from the adductor procedure he underwent following the Avalanche's first-round playoff loss last year, and it sounds like his status for Colorado's first game of the season Oct. 11 versus LA could be in doubt. If Francouz is forced to miss time to begin the year, look for Justus Annunen to step in as Alexandar Georgiev's backup.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Start of camp in jeopardy
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Francouz (groin) is unlikely to be ready for the start of the Avalanche's training camp, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Francouz, projected as Colorado's backup netminder to Alexandar Georgiev, underwent an adductor procedure in May. The report further suggests Francouz may not be ready to open the regular season. Mike Gould of Daily Faceoff reports the Avalanche are exploring the goalie market.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Undergoes adductor procedure
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Francouz had an adductor procedure following Colorado's first-round playoff exit, Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.
Per Boulding, Francouz is "expected to recover here in the near future," according to Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland. It sounds like Francouz should be available for training camp in the fall. The 32-year-old netminder was limited to 16 appearances during the 2022-23 season, going 8-7-1 with a 2.61 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Gets overtime win in return
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Francouz (lower body) stopped 19 of 23 shots in a 5-4 overtime win over Anaheim on Sunday.
Francouz was in net for the first time since Feb. 7 because of the injury. He allowed two goals in each of the second and third periods, leaving the Avalanche down 4-2 at one point. Mikko Rantanen put Colorado within one when he scored midway through the third frame, and Nathan MacKinnon took things over from there, contributing both the game-tying goal and the overtime winner. Francouz has an 8-7-1 record, 2.61 GAA and .915 save percentage in 16 contests this season. The Avalanche have one back-to-back set left versus Winnipeg on Thursday and Nashville on Friday, so Francouz might get one more start before the playoffs.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Expected to start Sunday
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Francouz (lower body) will start in Sunday's road game against Anaheim, Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette reports.
Francouz is still expected to miss Saturday's contest versus LA, but coach Jared Bednar has already marked the goaltender's return date. Francouz, who was last in net Feb. 7, has a 7-7-1 record, 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage in 15 appearances this season. Anaheim's as good a team as any for him to shake off the rust against, given that the Ducks have the 31st-ranked offense with 2.47 goals per game in 2022-23.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Drawing close to return
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Francouz (lower body) is getting close to returning, coach Jared Bednar told Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette on Thursday.
The Avalanche are going to see how Francouz does over the next few days, but if everything goes well, then it might not be too much longer before the goaltender is available. Francouz, who last played Feb. 7, has a 7-7-1 record, 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage in 15 contests this season. When he's ready to return, Colorado might reassign Jonas Johansson to the minors.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: No timetable for return
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Francouz (lower body) isn't expected to return Wednesday versus the Wild.
Francouz has resumed skating, but there's no timetable for his return, per Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. The 32-year-old goaltender has a 7-7-1 record, 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage in 15 contests this season. He last played Feb. 7, turning aside 36 of 38 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss to Pittsburgh. With Francouz unavailable, Jonas Johansson has been serving as Alexandar Georgiev's understudy.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Begins skating
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Francouz (lower body) skated for the first time in six days Friday, Brennan Vogt of Full Press Hockey reports.
Francouz last played Feb. 7, stopping 36 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss in Pittsburgh. He is 7-7-1 with a 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage this season. Alexandar Georgiev has established himself as the No. 1 netminder with the Avalanche, but the team could use Francouz back in action, in case of an injury to Georgiev. Consider Georgiev day-to-day at this time.
Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: No timeline for return
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Francouz (lower body) hasn't resumed skating yet and doesn't have a timeline for his return, Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette reports.
The Avalanche initially thought Francouz would be ready after three weeks but his absence has exceeded that mark. He has posted a 7-7-1 record this season with a 2.53 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Jonas Johansson, Justus Annunen and Keith Kinkaid have been taking turns backing up Alexandar Georgiev.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: No change in status
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Francouz (lower body) remains under the same timeline to return from injury, despite the club adding goalie Keith Kinkaid via trade from Boston, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Coach Jared Bednar said there's been no setback for Francouz when he explained the reasoning behind the acquisition of an additional goalie. He maintained the same timeline of up to four weeks but added there's no guarantee it will be exactly four weeks. Kinkaid will provide additional depth alongside Justus Annunen and Jonas Johansson.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Expected to miss three weeks
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Francouz (lower body) is expected to miss the next three weeks, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic.
Francouz was injured prior to Saturday's game in Florida. The netminder is 7-7-1 with a 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage this season. The Avs recalled Justus Annunen to back up Alexandar Georgiev with Francouz on the shelf.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Set for extended absence
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Frnacouz (lower body) is expected to miss multiple weeks, Avalanche freelance writer Adrian Dater reports.
Francouz was hurt before Saturday's game versus the Panthers, and now his absence will keep him out likely for the rest of February at a minimum. This likely means a heavy workload is on the way for Alexandar Georgiev, as Jonas Johansson's numbers in his NHL career are not impressive and could hurt the Avalanche's push to obtain and keep a playoff spot.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Dealing with lower-body issue
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Francouz won't practice Monday due to a lower-body injury, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.
Francouz was a late scratch ahead of Saturday's clash with the Panthers likely due to this lower-body problem. In his last six contests, the backup netminder went 3-2-1 with a 2.14 GAA and .929 save percentage. With Francouz on the shelf, the Avs recalled Jonas Johansson, who will likely be pressed into service against the Lightning or Wild on Tuesday or Wednesday, respectively, though Francouz hasn't been officially ruled out.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Won't suit up Tuesday
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Francouz (lower body) won't be in the lineup Tuesday against Tampa Bay, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.
Francouz does not have a timeline in place for his return yet. Colorado brought up netminder Jonas Johansson from AHL Colorado on Monday. Alexandar Georgiev could end up making back-to-back starts, as the Avalanche visit Minnesota on Wednesday following Tuesday's contest.
