Artturi Lehkonen’s return has changed the dynamic of the Colorado Avalanche top line.
Lehkonen returned to the Avalanche lineup on Nov. 5 against the Seattle Kraken, and the first line has had its juice back ever since.
In four games, Lehkonen has logged over 23 minutes per game. He has two goals and two assists in four games. This is the most on-ice time per game that Lehkonen has logged in his career.
It is not just the production the 29-year-old Fin has done for himself but it has how he has boosted the teammates around him. Since returning to the lineup, he has played on the top line with Avs superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
MacKinnon has seven even-strength points in four games with Lehkonen. He had 10 even-strength points in the previous 13 games.
“He’s one of the best wingers in the league,” MacKinnon said after Lehkonen’s return against Seattle. “He just does it all. There’s a short list of players you want over him and to get him back finally was a huge boost of morale.”
Rantanen may have been the biggest beneficiary. Rantanen had tallied just two even-strength goals in 12 games before playing with Lehkonnen. Rantanen has three even-strength goals in the four games with the Fins paired together.
Lehkonen has been a key cog in the lineup since the Avs traded for him at the deadline in 2022. He has bounced around the top six and has even spent time on the third line. But very few guys can play at the pace of MacKinnon and Rantanen.
Since Jonathan Drouin went out with an injury in the first game, Jared Bednar has tried a multitude of players to pair with MacKinnon and Rantanen including Nikolai Kovalenko, Ross Colton and Joel Kiviranta. Colton had some success with the top line but it didn’t seem to trickle over to his linemates.
Lehkonen can play at the proper pace that allows for MacKinnon and Rantanen to flourish. He is also an outstanding forechecker and great in the defensive zone which allows for MacKinnon and Rantanen to have less responsibility.
Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog have all spent time playing with MacKinnon and Rantanen and have played a total of one game this season. There is no guarantee that Lehkonen will stay on the top line once those players return. But what Lehkonen is adding right now is allowing for the Avs top players to flourish.