The Colorado Avalanche will start the NHL season without three trusted forwards.
The Denver Gazette reports that the Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen will be fit for the November NHL games at the earliest.
NHL club coach Jared Bednar has hinted for a few weeks now that the Avalanche are going to give the important Finnish winger as much rehab time as possible after his shoulder surgery.
Bednar only now revealed to the local newspaper that the Avalanche might not get Lehkonen back until November.
– At the end of this month, he will have a five-month check-up on the condition of his shoulder, and then we will get more information on how he can proceed from there, explains the Colorado coach.
Lehkonen has already been on skates for two months, which is why his possible return only next month is a surprise.
Skating is not a Turku resident’s concern. His shot also seems to be getting better by the day. It is now a matter of how Lehkonen’s operated shoulder can withstand full contact in the NHL.
Colorado is currently missing two other top-6 forwards, so it’s natural that the club doesn’t want to risk Lehkonen returning too early and getting injured again. In addition to Lehkonen, there are also on the sidelines Gabriel Landeskog and Valery Nitshuškin.
Colorado’s season opener is Thursday morning in Vegas. In 2022, the Avalanche, who won the NHL championship, will start the season with three Finns; star striker Mikko Rantanena goaltender who saved 14 NHL games last season Justus Annunen and the attacker of the subchains Joel Kiviranta.
Next night’s NHL round matches and follow-up here