When the Colorado Avalanche officially open their training camp at the South Suburban Family Sports Center in Centennial next Thursday, it'll be without a familiar face. Artturi Lehkonen, who had offseason shoulder surgery after the Avs lost in Round 2 to the Dallas Stars, “won't be a full participant,” a team spokesperson told The Score's John Matisz.
Superstar forward and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon also confirmed that Lehkonen would not start the season in Colorado's lineup.
The 29-year-old has been making progress on the ice over the last couple of weeks, with Colorado Hockey Now's Evan Rawal reporting that he's “gone from barely shooting the puck to putting some real zip on his shots.”
Still, it's certainly a disappointing update, as the hope in Denver must have been that the summer would be enough time for the Finnish forward to fully recover. Lehkonen struggled to stay on the ice in 2023-24, suiting up for just 45 regular-season contests. He was still extremely impactful in that time, recording 16 goals and 34 points.
He was also excellent in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring at a point-per-game pace as the Avalanche beat the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1. He was terrific in that series, scoring a goal in all five games.
He continued producing against the Stars, finishing with 11 points in 11 playoff games as the Avs were knocked out by a Matt Duchene double-overtime dagger at Ball Arena in Game 6 of the second round.
Despite the disappointing ending, Lehkonen remained a key piece of the top-six whenever he was healthy, both in the regular-season and playoffs. And the squad is going to need him back on the ice as soon as possible, especially without the services of Valeri Nichushkin for the foreseeable future.
Avalanche need Artturi Lehkonen, especially without Valeri Nichushkin
Besides a couple of nagging injuries that Lehkonen dealt with in 2023-24, he battled an upper-body injury that cost him two-and-a-half months of the campaign. He hasn't played a full season since he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens back in 2018-19.
And without Nichushkin, who remains in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program with no firm return date, the Avalanche's forward core is looking thin heading into the new season. Like usual, it will be MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen leading the way up front.
Lehkonen was originally selected by the Habs in the second round (No. 55 overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft. After spending nearly six seasons in Montreal, he was traded to the Avalanche in March of 2022. That trade turned out excellent for Colorado, as Lehkonen amassed 14 points in 20 playoff games to help the Avs win their first Stanley Cup since 2001.
He also scored the series-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With most of the core still intact, the Avs are looking to again reach a championship series — and they're going to need Lehkonen healthy if they hope to achieve that.
He is entering the third season of a five-year, $22.5 million contract he signed back in 2022. Over 511 career NHL games, Lehkonen has recorded 117 goals and 243 points.
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