Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Lights lamp twice in win
Rotowire
Lehkonen scored two goals, one of them the game-winner, in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Predators.
The 29-year-old winger continues to find the back of the net with regularity. Lehkonen has seven goals in the last nine games, although he's added only one helper to his ledger during that stretch, and Saturday's performance was his first multi-goal performance since Feb. 13. Lehkonen's up to 10 goals and 15 points in 20 appearances.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Scores again Tuesday
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Lehkonen scored a goal on two shots and went plus-5 in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Penguins.
Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon each had five points, helping Lehkonen to a strong plus-minus rating despite a lack of other stats. This was Lehkonen's fifth goal and sixth point over his last seven games. The winger is up to eight tallies, five assists, 38 shots on net and a plus-5 rating through 18 appearances, and he'll carry excellent fantasy value as long as he remains on the top line.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Deposits goal in win
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Lehkonen scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Devils.
Lehkonen has four goals and a helper over his last six games. His second-period tally Sunday stretched the Avalanche's lead to 3-0. The 29-year-old winger remains in a top-line role for now, though he could eventually be pressed for that spot by Valeri Nichushkin or Ross Colton. Lehkonen has seven tallies, 12 points, 36 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating through 17 appearances this season.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Nets goal in loss
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Lehkonen scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes.
Lehkonen has three goals and an assist during his four-game point streak. The 29-year-old winger is getting into a groove on the Avalanche's top line, so he should at least be checked on in standard fantasy formats. He's up to six goals, five helpers, 34 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating over 15 appearances this season.
Lehkonen scored the game-winning goal and fired three shots on net in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Sabres.
Lehkonen's tally at 15:38 of the third period put the Avalanche ahead for the first time after they fell into a 4-0 hole in the first period. The 29-year-old winger has two goals and an assist over his last three games as he keeps rolling in a top-six role. He's at 10 points, 32 shots on net and a minus-1 rating over 14 appearances this season.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Slings helper in loss
Rotowire
Lehkonen notched a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Oilers.
Lehkonen has a goal and an assist over his last two games after logging just one helper across his previous six outings. The 29-year-old winger is up to nine points, 29 shots on net and a minus-2 rating through 13 appearances. With injuries piling up again for the Avalanche, Lehkonen is likely to be leaned on for more offense in a top-six role.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Lights lamp Friday
Rotowire
Lehkonen scored a goal on three shots in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Stars.
Lehkonen had been limited to one assist over the previous six games. The 29-year-old winger has maintained a top-line role -- that's usually a slump-proof position in Colorado. He's now at four goals, eight points, 27 shots on net, seven hits and seven blocked shots over 12 outings this season. Lehkonen is a solid fantasy play, though his offense could be a little lower than usual if he gets stuck on the second power-play unit.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Goal, assist in win
Rotowire
Lehkonen scored a goal on five shots, dished an assist, added two hits and went plus-3 in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Hurricanes.
Lehkonen set up Nathan MacKinnon for a game-tying goal at 15:49 of the second period and then scored the go-ahead marker less than a minute later. This was Lehkonen's second multi-point effort over three appearances this season. He has two goals, two assists, 11 shots on net and a plus-3 rating since he returned from shoulder surgery. Lehkonen is shining on the top line, but it's unclear if he'll stay there once Jonathan Drouin (upper body) or Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) return to the lineup.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Pair of points in season debut
Rotowire
Lehkonen scored a power-play goal on three shots and added an assist in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Kraken.
Lehkonen missed nearly a full month of the regular season while wrapping up his recovery from shoulder surgery in May. The 29-year-old didn't look to have missed a beat, playing 22:25 in his season debut. His return is a welcome one for the Avalanche, who have been running thin on depth due to injuries early in the campaign. Lehkonen should be a lock for top-six minutes as long as he remains healthy, and he's worth a look in all fantasy formats.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Activated from IR
Rotowire
Lehkonen (shoulder) was activated from injured reserve Sunday.
Lehkonen will rejoin the Avalanche on Tuesday against Seattle for his season debut. The 29-year-old winger, who underwent shoulder surgery in late May, should slot back into Colorado's top six after totaling 16 goals and 34 points in 45 games during the 2023-24 regular season.
Lehkonen (shoulder) is expected to make his season debut versus the Kraken on Tuesday, Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.
Getting a forward back from injury would be a welcome sight for the injury-ravaged Avalanche. The 29-year-old has already missed 11 games and will likely miss one more, Saturday in Nashville, before making his return. Assuming all goes well, Lehkonen would take on a top-six role and power-play time.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Will be evaluated Oct. 28
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Lehkonen (shoulder) will meet with the team doctor Oct. 28 to be evaluated, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette on Wednesday.
Lehkonen and the Avalanche should have a better idea of his timetable after that meeting. The 29-year-old forward hasn't played yet in 2024-25. He had 16 goals and 34 points in 45 regular-season outings last campaign.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Moves to non-roster list
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Lehkonen (shoulder) was put on the injured non-roster list Monday.
Lehkonen has been ruled out for the first month of the 2024-25 campaign. He produced 16 goals and 34 points in 45 contests during the 2023-24 regular season.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Out through October
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Lehkonen (shoulder) will be re-evaluated at the end of October, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports Monday.
The news officially rules Lehkonen out for at least the first 11 games of the 2024-25 campaign. Given his recovery timeline, the 29-year-old winger is a strong candidate for long-term injured reserve, though he hasn't officially been designated yet. In the meantime, Calum Ritchie appears to have secured himself a spot in the top six playing alongside Casey Mittelstadt.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Still in non-contact jersey
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Lehkonen (shoulder) was skating in a non-contact jersey during Wednesday's practice session, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Lehkonen underwent shoulder surgery in May and has been limited for the start of training camp. Coach Jared Bednar said in mid-September that Lehkonen will be ready to return shortly after he's cleared for contact, but it's not yet clear when that will occur. Over 45 regular-season last year, the 29-year-old tallied 16 goals and 34 points, including seven goals and five assists on the power play.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Not likely for preseason games
Rotowire
Lehkonen (shoulder) is not expected to be a full participant during training camp or preseason games, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Per Ryan Boulding of NHL.com, Lehkonen will be ready to return shortly after he's cleared for contact. The winger is recovering from a shoulder surgery. While he may miss most or all of the preseason slate, he should be good to go for a second-line role once he's ready to play.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Not ready to return
Rotowire
Lehkonen (shoulder) will not be able to participate fully at the start of training camp, John Matisz of The Score reports Friday.
Lehkonen underwent shoulder surgery in May and while he was skating with his teammates at the end of August, he is still considered iffy for the start of the 2024-25. Lehkonen had 16 goals and 34 points -- including seven goals and five assists on the power play -- in 45 regular-season appearances with the Avalanche in 2023-24.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Participating in informal skates
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Lehkonen (shoulder) took the ice with teammates ahead of training camp, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports Thursday.
Lehkonen looks poised to return from a shoulder injury that required surgery back in May. It's possible the 29-year-old winger will still miss the first preseason game against the Stars on Sept. 23 given his lengthy layoff, but all signs point to him being ready for Opening Night. In addition to a top-six role, Lehkonen should also feature with the No. 1 power-play unit -- at least until Gabriel Landeskog (knee) is given the all-clear.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Could be ready for camp
Rotowire
Lehkonen (shoulder) should be ready around the start of training camp, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.
The team will have a better outlook on Lehkonen's timeline in the coming months but for now, it seems to be good news. The 28-year-old tallied 16 goals and 34 points in 45 regular-season games before adding another 11 points in 11 playoff appearances. Assuming he's healthy, Lehkonen will be locked into a top-six role during the 2024-25 season.
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Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen: Set for shoulder surgery
Rotowire
Lehkonen is expected to undergo a shoulder procedure according to general manager Chris MacFarland, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports Thursday.
Lehkonen was red hot during the Avalanche's opening-round series against the Jets, scoring a goal in each of the five games, but he was relatively quiet against Dallas in the second round. In six games versus the Stars, the 28-year-old winger tallied just one goal to go with two assists and 14 shots. At this point, the expectation is that Lehkonen will be ready for the start of training camp in the fall.
