The Colorado Avalanche is about to get a much-needed break, but reinforcements have arrived just ahead of it.
Artturi Lehkonen and Bo Byram have been cleared to return to the lineup Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals in the club’s penultimate game before the NHL’s All-Star break. Lehkonen has missed the past 35 games because of a neck injury, while Byram was sidelined for eight with a lower-body issue.
“It’s great. He’s a big part of our group and a really good player,” Avs forward Mikko Rantanen said of his fellow countryman Lehkonen. “He’s going to help us — 5-on-5, good penalty killer, good all-around player. He’s a big addition and we’re happy to have him back.”
Lehkonen was injured after a Nov. 7 collision with Seattle defenseman Jamie Oleksiak sent him tumbling head-first into the end boards. The Avs set his recovery timeline at 10 to 12 weeks, and Tuesday marked 11 weeks since the incident.
He’s been skating with the team for a while now, having shed a no-contact jersey, and was practicing with no restrictions more than a week ago.
“Honestly, I thought I was going to be fine, but I wasn’t,” Lehkonen said. “It is what it is. For sure it’s a scary injury. It was just at high speed and an accident.
“It feels good. I’m excited to be back. It’s going to be fun.”
Lehkonen is expected to start on a line with Ryan Johansen and Andrew Cogliano against the Capitals. He should also see time on both special teams units. He played on the top power-play unit before the injury, but will likely start out with the second group.
Avs coach Jared Bednar said the plan is to ease Lehkonen back into things, but that could change based on how he’s feeling and playing.
“He’s an elite checking forward that can help produce offense and is going to slide into our top nine and help with slotting guys where they are most able to have success. He’s a trusted guy on the defensive side who helps produce a lot on the offensive side.
“He does a lot for us.”
This will be the first time Lehkonen has played since his father, Ismo, created a two-day news cycle with some comments about Rantanen’s play and offseason last month.
“I feel like it was kind of blown out of proportion, but it is in the past,” Lehkonen said. “There are no hard feelings or whatever. It’s in the past. I don’t think about it, really.”
Added Rantanen: “I don’t really have anything to add. It’s just behind us — all of us.”
Byram’s return means the Colorado defense corps is nearly back to full strength. Cale Makar, Josh Manson and Byram have all missed time with injuries, while Samuel Girard was away from the team for a month in the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program.
“It’s been a good opportunity for me to kind of sit back and watch for a bit,” Byram said. “Just refocus — it’s no secret that I haven’t been at my best the first half of the year. Sometimes you just need a little reset to get going, and I’m super excited to get back.”
Byram is replacing Jack Johnson, who has been playing through a lower-body injury in recent games. Bednar said Johnson could probably play against the Capitals if they needed him, but this was a good spot to give him some rest.
The coach also alluded to a tough decision — once Johnson is ready, the Avs will have their full complement of defensemen available. While they’ve been missing one or more guys at a time, rookie Sam Malinski has flourished with 10 points in 21 games and consistently earning praise from his coach and teammates for his work.
With Lehkonen back, the Avs will no longer have a large long-term injury reserve cushion and need to be mindful of the salary cap. If Malinski does stay with the team instead of returning to AHL duty with the Eagles, Bednar’s comments suggested there could be a timeshare type of situation soon.
“There’s a lot of things with Jack that I would want him in for the L.A. game (on Friday) if possible, and there’s some things that Sam does that I like (against Washington) too,” Bednar said.
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