Artturi Lehkonen was injured on Nov. 9 and hasn't played since but should be back on the ice against the Washington Capitals.
It's been 75 days since Artturi Lehkonen played in an NHL game but it's time the forward got back into the lineup, according to Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar.
The 28-year-old suffered an upper-body injury when he crashed head-first into the boards against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 9. After more than two months of rehabilitation, he's ready to return.
Lehkonen traveled with the team on its recent road trip. Bednar told media there was a chance he could play, but he kept him out of the lineup.
Colorado returned from the five-game road trip with three wins and two losses. There are things the team learned during an unfavorable schedule against tough opponents.
"I think there's periods that we can pull out of these games that we really like, and really fit our identity. So it's still building in the right direction," Bednar said after the win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon. "We don't love 3-2 ever, but to be able to come out of this road trip with 3-2 and knowing that hopefully we're getting some reinforcements back in the lineup maybe as early as Wednesday."
Bowen Byram, who was injured in the 5-4 overtime win against the Dallas Stars on Jan. 4, is also expected to return on Wednesday. Both he and Lehkonen were skating in full participation jerseys at practice on Monday morning.
With the Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Logan O'Connor line playing as well as it did on the road, where will Lehkonen slot in?
"There's other guys that come into the lineup here yet too, so you want to find a mix. I don't mind moving away from certain lines for a little bit and trying to spread things out because it gives you a look at everything. That's what the regular season is for, figuring out exactly what works best for your team so it's dialed in come playoff time. But that line (Wood — Colton — O'Connor) has been really good for us when they've been together."
Forward Jason Polin was reassigned to the Colorado Eagles on Saturday which was another indication that Lehkonen will return to the lineup.
Lehkonen shifted around the top two lines mostly playing with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Ryan Johansen, Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin in the 12 games he played before getting hurt.
The Piikkio, Finland native earned eight points in his dozen games so far this season so it may be a challenge for Bednar to find a fit for him right away.