Avalanche rumors: Will Artturi Lehkonen injury force trade before deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is on March 6 at 3 pm ET. Teams are working on their plans, and that includes the Colorado Avalanche preparing for the trade deadline.

Now, their plans may have gotten more complicated due to an injury to Artturi Lehkonen, and it could shift their plans at the deadline, according to Graham Tiedtke of Mile High Sticking.

Lehkonen was on the second line during the game on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings, with Gabriel Landeskog on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. Ross Colton is expected to replace Lehkonen on the second line. Still, there was a previous rumbling of him being traded.

“Colton’s name has actually been brought up the most in terms of a potential trade piece to acquire some depth. He’s got seven goals and 15 assists through 56 games played this season. It’s been a little bit of a down year for Colton, though, with pundits speculating that a change of scenery could do him some good,” Tiedtke is reporting.

Colton also would be just a short-term answer as a replacement, as his moving up a line has a trickle-down effect. There is no current timetable for Lehkonen to return, as reported by Guerilla Sports.

“I haven’t gotten the full report on [Artturi Lehkonen], but he’s going to be out and miss some time,” head coach Jared Bednar said after the game.

If Lehkonen is out for some time, bringing in another forward may be required. The Avalanche have been connected with Nazem Kadri, possibly setting up for a reunion with the Calgary Flames’ forward. If Lehkonen is out for an extended period of time, finding a way to bring back Kadri would be a solid answer for the team.

The Avalanche are 40-10-9 on the season, sitting with the best record in the NHL. They return to the ice, without Lehkonen, on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks.

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