Artturi Lehkonen will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with an injury to his finger, Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday on his weekly radio appearance.
Bednar said losing Lehkonen was "a huge loss."
However, Bednar added, "Good thing is it's his finger. It's his top hand and he can continue to train."
Making his first trip back Monday to Montreal since being traded to the Avalanche in March 2022, Lehkonen scored twice, registering his 99th and 100th regular-season NHL goals as Colorado took a decisive 8-4 win over the Canadiens.
Lehkonen’s night came to a bitter end when he left at 12:57 into the second period after suffering an injury to his hand. The injury will require surgery.
Fourth in team scoring, Lehkonen, 27, had already busted through his career highs this season, and at the time of his injury had 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points in 62 games for the defending Stanley Cup champions.
As a result of Lehkonen's absence, the Avalanche recalled forward Alex Galchenyuk from the AHL's Colorado Eagles. According to Bednar, Denis Malgin will move into the lineup's top six.
The Avalanche's next game comes against Malgin's former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Wednesday.
--with files from The Canadian Press
