The Colorado Avalanche face an uphill battle even before opening night of the 2024-25 season. When you’re missing half of your top six, that’s the kind of atmosphere that surrounds a franchise. Such is life for the Avalanche these days.
There is no timeline for the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog. Winger Valeri Nichushkin is still suspended and will be until at least mid-November. It was then revealed that invaluable winger Artturi Lehkonen will not start the season with the team following off-season shoulder surgery. He’ll be back at some point, but what can we expect?
How Lehkonen’s 2023-24 Season Went
Lehkonen was a major bright spot during the 2022-23 season. He managed career-highs in goals (21), assists (30), and points (51) in just 64 games. That said, he played only 64 games as he battled minor injuries here and there.
The 2023-24 campaign was similar in a lot of ways. He dealt with a neck injury that landed him on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), limiting him to 45 games over the course of the season. He made the most of that time, notching 16 goals and 34 points.
Lehkonen took his game up a notch in the playoffs. In 11 games, the 28-year-old winger scored six times and picked up 11 points as the Avalanche were eliminated by the Dallas Stars. He had proven that he could be a legitimate second-line presence for the Avalanche – if he could stay in the lineup.
What the Avalanche Need From Lehkonen
Right now, the Avalanche need him to get healthy. It’s a theme across the lineup. Ideally, the team could get off to a hot start so Lehkonen can hit the ground running whenever he does come back. We all know what to expect from guys like MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, the question is what the Avalanche can get out of Lehkonen when he returns.
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The good news is that Lehkonen has shown that he can produce like a quality middle-six winger when he’s in the lineup. Coming back from shoulder surgery will be tough and it will no doubt take him some time to get acclimated in the Avalanche lineup.
Lehkonen’s 2024-25 Projection
The hardest part about projecting Lehkonen’s 2024-25 season is knowing when he will return. How the Avalanche start the season could change that trajectory. If the Avs start well out of the gates, there will be less pressure to push him into the lineup. Struggle and there could be an internal desire to get him back onto the ice sooner rather than later.
Let’s say he comes back sometime in November. If he can match the 64 games he played in 2022-23, look for him to challenge those numbers. He saw the most ice time of his career that season and his second-best shooting percentage. Look for a line of around 18-31-49 in 65 or so games this season for Lehkonen.
An Invaluable Piece for a Contender
No matter how you cut it, Lehkonen is an invaluable piece of the team’s core. He might not be the flashiest player in the lineup, but he plays a strong 200-foot game. He has steadily improved his offensive game since joining the Avalanche, but he has to stay in the lineup.
It will be a delicate dance to determine the right time for him to return. When he gets back, the Avalanche will fill a big hole in their roster. Lehkonen will play in all situations for the Avs and should even garner some second power play unit time given how thin the forward ranks are.
The Avalanche still fancy themselves contenders because of MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Cale Makar. That said, guys like Lehkonen are the ones that make a huge difference when it matters most. If the Avalanche plan on contending this season, they will need Lehkonen at his best.
