Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is expected to make his return to Colorado’s lineup Wednesday against the Arizona Coyotes after missing three games with an apparent head injury.

MacKinnon participated in an optional practice Tuesday at Ball Arena.

“I do expect him to play tomorrow,” coach Jared Bednar said. “This is one of the top players in the world, he’s our on-ice leader, and we need that offensive punch.”

MacKinnon, with 22 points (five goals) over 19 games this season, is a welcome addition for an Avalanche team still reeling from injuries. Colorado remains without seven players: Bo Byram (upper body), Matt Calvert (upper body), J.T. Compher (upper body), Pavel Francouz (lower body), Dennis Gilbert (upper body), Erik Johnson (upper body) and Cale Makar (upper body).

Bednar was unable to provide an updated return timeline for any injured players outside MacKinnon, who Bednar said “feels good and he looks great on the ice.” MacKinnon returns after absorbing a check-to-the-head March 3 from San Jose Sharks winger Joachim Blichfeld. The prognosis for Makar, however, remains uncertain.

“Until I hear from our medical staff or from Cale himself that he’s good and ready to play or gearing up to play our next game, then I don’t know when it’s going to be,” Bednar said. “It could be as early as tomorrow or it could be two months from now. I have no idea.”

The Avalanche split its three games without MacKinnon in the lineup (1-1-1). His return couldn’t come soon enough with Colorado (13-8-2) currently playing a stretch of 15 games over just 26 days.

“The fact of the matter is that we’re not capitalizing on enough of our chances,” Bednar said. “Nate, when he gets into scoring areas and draws attention to himself, he’s usually ending up with real good chances or his linemates are. The top players tend to finish off more of their scoring chances than other guys. We need to finish them off right now.

“It’s going to be a big lift for us to get him back.”

MacDonald earning stripes. The Avalanche’s rash of injuries has provided an opportunity for reserve defenseman Jacob MacDonald to play in seven consecutive games. The 28-year-old Oregon native has averaged 15:59 in ice-time with a plus/minus rating of +2. MacDonald, an AHL defenseman who signed a two-year Avalanche contract extension in March, scored his first goal with the team in a late-February win at the Coyotes.

“The biggest thing is that the guys in the room have confidence in me,” MacDonald said. “I have confidence in myself to go out and play in those increased minutes. Just play my role. It’s been good and a lot of fun, too.”

Avalanche forward Jayson Megna, a longtime AHL teammate with MacDonald, added: “It’s been fun to watch. He’s such a good person off the ice, too. He puts in a lot of hard work in the summer, in practice, and in the weight room. It’s been great to see him get an extended opportunity.”