The Avalanche have brought Artturi Lehkonen back from injured reserve.
Lehkonen is expected to play his first game of the season on Tuesday against the Kraken after missing 12 games due to shoulder surgery. Although he wasn’t ready for training camp, there was hope he’d be back for the start of the season. That changed when he was placed on IR, with Coach Jared Bednar stating he’d be out until at least October 28th, awaiting a doctor’s evaluation.
Lehkonen’s Return and Impact
Luckily, Lehkonen got the green light from doctors and has been practicing in a non-contact jersey for weeks now, so he’s not jumping in completely unprepared. With several top players like Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin still out, Lehkonen will be crucial for Colorado’s lineup. Since joining from Montreal in 2022, he’s been vital to their success, even helping them win the Stanley Cup that year.
Fans might wonder if his return can turn things around since they’ve lost three games straight. Despite injuries over recent seasons, Lehkonen has shown he can deliver strong offensive numbers while playing solid defense.
Where he’ll play—whether with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the first line or offering support on the second line—is yet to be decided. But one thing is clear: they need him badly as their record stands at 5-7-0.
Financial Moves
Activating Lehkonen doesn’t hurt their salary cap because he was on IR rather than LTIR; instead, it frees up some cap space by creating room on the roster for him.
What do you think? Will Lehkonen’s return make a big difference?
