Aarif Deen
It was a sudden departure for Artturi Lehkonen on Monday. The Avalanche’s veteran forward left the game in Los Angeles early in the first period after playing just three shifts for a total of 3:21 of ice time. Colorado went on to win that game 4-2.
Avs head coach Jared Bednar said after the game that Lehkonen would miss some time. He did not play when Colorado completed its back to back against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
Prior to that puck drop, traveling media was told by team PR that Lehkonen would be out week to week.
On Wednesday, Bednar gave a little more info on his weekly Altitude Sports Radio segment.
“He kind of took a weird hit, the timing of it, the way he was standing, and opening up. And he’s got an upper-body injury,” Bednar said. “It’s gonna be week to week. It’s one of those ones again where you just kind of see how it progresses, how he’s feeling. But he’s gonna miss some time. I don’t know if that’s two weeks or three weeks, I just don’t know for certain.”
Bednar also confirmed that he expected Lehkonen to be back before the playoffs.
Without Lehkonen available, Bednar elevated Ross Colton to the top six, where he played with Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin.