Avalanche's Nikita Zadorov: Will return Saturday

Zadorov will be back in the lineup for Saturday's road game against the Devils, The Denver Post reports.

Analysis:

There were questions about how long Zadorov might sit out as a healthy scratch having reported to training camp late and out of shape, but it appears the stocky blueliner will have only missed Opening Night -- Thursday's 4-2 road win over the Rangers. It's not clear if coach Jared Bednar was trying to send the Russian a message, but we're guessing Zadorov knows he needs to step up after recording a mere 10 points (all assists) and a minus-20 rating over 56 games last year.