The Avalanche returned to work Wednesday after a couple of days off.

Without knowing their next playoffs opponent, they’re stuck in a weird limbo.

“Let’s be honest,” coach Jared Bednar said. “They come out after two days off today, we’re going to hit the ice, (and) no one’s really ready to dig in and go to work today, right? We get what we can out of it. We force them into some areas of competition. It’ll be better and more intense (Thursday).”

When the Avalanche hit the ice Thursday, they still won’t know their next opponent. The Wild hold a 3-2 advantage in their series over the Stars and will have an opportunity to eliminate Dallas on Thursday night. If they don’t, the Avalanche must wait until the weekend to learn their second-round foe.

Some players are watching that series with a close eye. Others took the last two days to get away from the game, a rare opportunity this time of year.

Bednar said he’s watching the Stars-Wild series and nothing that either team has shown is all that surprising considering how much they already know about both teams. He leaves it up to the players whether they watch or choose to disconnect.

Logan O’Connor is a veteran and a key piece of a penalty kill that will have a tough task regardless of the opponent. He’s one of the guys who was watching the Wild and Stars beat each other up Tuesday night.

“I followed that series last night,” O’Connor said. “That’s a series I think most of us were tuning into. Just picking up little things you can. You’re obviously waiting to see who you’re going to play. It’s good to see just how the series has unfolded and try to keep tabs on it when you can.”

The question of rest vs. rust comes up any time a team hits an extended break during the the playoffs. The core members of the Avalanche have gone through it before. After sweeping the Nashville Predators in the first round in 2022, they had to wait seven days until Game 1 against the Blues . Then they had to wait another eight days between the Western Conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.

They won each Game 1s coming out of long breaks, so it’s something they’re comfortable doing. And this break could prove to be beneficial.

Defenseman Josh Manson did not play in Game 4 and did not practice with the team Wednesday. Ahead of Game 4, Bednar said Manson is “going to be sore for a while,” which is not something Avalanche fans want to hear.

“Still day-to-day,” Bednar said Wednesday of Manson’s status.

“Sore” could mean just about anything, but it’s similar terminology to what was used back in January when Gabriel Landeskog was recovering from what he later confirmed was a rib injury. Manson was injured in a hit along the bench where the left side of his midsection made direct contact with the top of the shorter boards in that part of the ice. He attempted to return but was only able to make it one shift before leaving for the rest of the game.

With most injuries to that part of the body, the only way to recover is with rest. In that case, an extended break might actually be a blessing in disguise if it means Manson has a chance at being ready for the start of round two.

“I think we’re rooting for a Game 8. Maybe a Game 9, too,” Nazem Kadri joked in regard to the Wild-Stars series.

If the Wild close out their series against the Stars on Thursday, the earliest round two could start is Saturday. That start date is dependent on what happens with the rest of the series still being played, as the NHL typically doesn’t start another round until the previous one has finished. With three Game 6s taking place Friday, there’s a possibility the Avalanche wouldn’t play again until Monday if any of those series make it to seven games.

If it helps ensure Manson, a key part of Colorado’s defense, is ready to go for the next round, it would be best to root for these series to go the distance.