Avalanche Reassess Wing Depth as Trade Deadline Approaches
avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen left Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings with an upper-body injury and did not return, creating an immediate roster question as the trade deadline approaches.
What Happens When a key top-six winger goes down?
The team announced Lehkonen left the game and would not return after logging just 3: 21 of ice time in that contest. In 59 games this season he has 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points, averaging just under 19 minutes per game and carrying a plus-31 rating through those appearances. Head Coach Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche, said the player will miss the back-to-back against the Anaheim Ducks and that “he’s going to be out and miss some time. “
Immediate in-game adjustments were already evident: Ross Colton and Victor Olofsson were moved up the lineup to fill the vacancy on a line with Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson. Additional roster pressure stems from concurrent issues: Joel Kiviranta is in concussion protocol and Logan O’Connor has not yet made his debut this season while recovering from hip surgery.
What If the Avalanche make a move at the deadline?
With the trade deadline three days away, the injury to Lehkonen has broadened the Avalanche’s list of potential needs. The club carries available cap space north of $8 million, and leadership figures include General Manager Chris MacFarland and his front office staff weighing options between acquiring a third-line center or adding a middle-six winger.
- Immediate roster levers: place Lehkonen on injured reserve to free a roster spot.
- Internal options used: Colton and Olofsson were bumped into larger roles.
- Compounding depth issues: Kiviranta in concussion protocol; O’Connor still recovering from hip surgery.
- Trade variables cited by team discussion: potential winger targets named in internal evaluations include Kiefer Sherwood, Blake Coleman, Bobby McMann, and Jonathan Marchessault.
- Asset-management considerations: moving Ross Colton — a player with one year left on a $4 million deal and a 12-team no-trade list — would create substantial cap flexibility but would also require weighing prospect and pick inventory.
What Are the plausible scenarios for the team moving forward?
Best case: Lehkonen’s absence proves short-term. Internal replacements settle in, Kiviranta and O’Connor return, and the club retains its current core without major roster movement.
Most likely: Lehkonen misses multiple weeks. The Avalanche shift Colton and Olofsson temporarily, consider placing Lehkonen on injured reserve to open a roster spot, and evaluate low- to mid-cost winger additions at the deadline while keeping the search for a third-line center central to trade discussions.
Most challenging: Lehkonen is out for an extended period. Combined with Kiviranta’s concussion protocol and O’Connor’s recovery timeline, the front office is forced into a higher-cost acquisition to plug a middle-six vacancy, or to part with core pieces to reconfigure cap space and roster balance.
Each scenario ties back to available cap flexibility, the club’s draft assets and prospect pool, and decisions by General Manager Chris MacFarland and staff about priorities at the deadline.
The injury also has immediate competitive implications: the Avalanche currently lead the Central Division with 89 points, and any roster move will be evaluated against the goal of preserving that positioning while managing short-term roster health.
Prepare for a compact window of decisions: Bednar’s lineup adjustments, potential injured-reserve placement, and MacFarland’s trade calculus will shape the club’s middle-six for the stretch run. Expect the organization to act with a view to sustain depth and playoff readiness as the avalanche
