Artturi Lehkonen will make his season debut against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at Ball Arena. The 29-year-old has been greatly missed as the Avalanche have only won five of the 12 games played so far and sit in seventh place in the Central Division. The team has struggled in a few areas and has not found a rhythm with key players out due to injury or suspension, in Valeri Nichushkin’s case.
The 5-foot-11 forward had offseason shoulder surgery but has skated for months during his recovery. He got the green light to get back to work last week and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time than now.
Ross Colton broke his foot on Oct. 28 and will not return until mid-December. Jonathan Drouin has been out since suffering an upper-body injury in the first game of the season but head coach Jared Bednar said he is close to a return. Nichushkin practiced with the team for the first time on Monday and is expected to be reinstated on. Nov. 15 — when the Avs play the Washington Capitals at home.
“He’s (Lehkonen) a Swiss army knife. He can do anything. He’s fun. I love that guy. He can play anywhere for us. And then, like I said, obviously playing power play, key roles and then huge PK guy as well. He can block shots. And I think he’s a very underrated guy in the corners, getting pucks back, retrieving them for those top guys. Plays a huge role for us.”
As great as it would be for the Avs to get Lehkonen back full throttle, it will most likely take him some time to get adjusted. He will likely spend time on the top two lines until he finds a fit, but even then, he shouldn’t get too comfortable with Drouin and Nichushkin nearing a return as well — when lines will shift again.
“He’s just really solid player. He can play penalty kill, first power play. He can do everything on the ice, which is, that’s what you appreciate a lot. You know, versatile player, so really important.
“When you’re a really good player, really smart player, it’s usually a little bit easier to come back. I’ve been injured, and after summer, the first game always feels a little you’re out of timing, maybe. I think the timing is the biggest thing to get together, but it’s gonna take maybe a couple games for him, you know, the timing, right? Hopefully, maybe just one period, you never know how it goes, but he’s an experienced player, so I don’t think it’s going to be too much of a problem,” Mikko Rantanen said.
Lehkonen is especially important to the team’s production. Without him, the Avs have scored 40 goals in 12 games and sit in the No. 12 spot in the league. Nathan MacKinnon referred to him as “probably our best two-way player.”
Bednar dissected Lehkonen’s play of what the Avalanche have been missing with him out and how he will improve the team dynamic with his return.
“He’s a puck hound, plays bigger than his size, high hockey IQ, can play with skilled players, but it’s really the relentlessness on the puck and being able to win races, battles, make plays in traffic under pressure, intelligent plays, high percentage plays that lots of other guys can’t make,” Bednar said. “He’s a playmaker in his own way. And oftentimes it’s just winning the 50/50, touch, and he’s tenacious on pucks. So when he wins those touches, good things happen.”