Lehkonen Injury Forces Avalanche to Reassess Wing Depth

Despite the 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings last night, Artturi Lehkonen was injured midway through the game and, as of writing, is deemed to have an upper-body injury. Head Coach Jared Bednar, after the game, stated that he will miss the back-to-back against the Anaheim Ducks but said “he’s going to be out and miss some time”.

With the trade deadline just three days away, the clear indicator for this team was to find the right third-line center, whether it be Nazem Kadri, Vincent Trocheck, or Ryan O’Rielly. With the injury to Lehkonen, and knowing it might be some time before we see him in the lineup again, should the Avalanche add a winger to that list of requirements by the trade deadline?

When Lehkonen was out of the lineup, Ross Colton and Victor Olofsson were bumped up to fill in his spot in the second line with Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson. While most of the last game's production came from the top line, this is a major blow to a player who has dealt with some unlucky injuries during his career. He's played all 59 games this season, but during his time with the Avalanche, he's never played more than 69 games, and this injury might keep that record intact.

While moving Colton or Olofsson up the lineup in a pinch to try to scramble the lines for some offense is one thing, relying on their offensive output entirely is another, given how they have been playing before and after the Olympic break. 

A larger issue with this injury is the other curial injuries that further affect this one. Joel Kiviranta, who would support the bottom-six and afford someone like Gavin Brindley or Olofsson a spot in the top-six, is in concussion protocol, and Logan O’Connor has yet to make his debut this season while recovering from hip surgery. 

This is why, depending on the severity of this injury, this could force General Manager Chris MacFarland and crew to look to add another middle-six winger option, so when Kiviranta, Lehkonen, and O'Connor return, the depth down the wing will be so much more sustainable. Which means bodies will need to be moved, but that's the cost of building out a championship roster.

There are plenty of names out there, like Kiefer Sherwood (Sharks), Blake Coleman (Flames), Bobby McMann (Leafs), and Jonathan Marchessault (Predators). The main issue is what their price to acquire and cap hit would be, and how they would fit with the main priority: the third-line center. While the Avalanche have over $8 million in cap space, for certain players, it's going to take some work to fit their cap hit into the team, rather than paying more to retain them or moving more money out.

Ross Colton is the most prominent among the group to be moved, as at 29 years old, he has one more year left on his $4 million deal. However, he does have a 12-team no-trade list, which definitely does limit the teams you could send him to, but moving him frees up over $12 million in cap space, which would literally open the Avalanche to acquiring anyone they would want; it all would just come down to what the price would be to acquire said players.

The Avalanche will have their next two first-round picks, along with some of their prospects. Still, given the price being reported for some of the players available at this trade deadline, it's going to be interesting to see what MacFarland and crew do when it comes to evaluating talent and going for the right player at the right price.

It's unfortunate for Lehkonen, as he was playing really well this season while staying healthy. He has 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points in 59 games, on pace to break his career assist record of 30, set in the 2022-23 season, and his career-high in points of 52, also set in the same season. Though this only puts more pressure on Avalanche management to make the right moves come the March 6th 3 pm Trade Deadline, ensuring this team has the best chances for another Stanley Cup Championship run.