Sep 18, 2024, 08:51 PM ET
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Colorado Avalanche head into training camp with some holes to fill — and some feelings to mend down the road.
On the eve of camp Wednesday night, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said there was no timeline for a return of captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) or forward Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder surgery). But the team will be without forward Val Nichushkin, who’s suspended until mid-November.
It’s a situation Bednar plans to address with the team now and also when Nichushkin eventually returns.
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The talented Russian forward was unavailable for a second straight postseason last May due to circumstances away from the ice. He was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in stage 3 of the league’s player assistance program.
The NHL and NHLPA announced the news just before Game 4 of the Avalanche’s loss to the Dallas Stars on May 13 that left them trailing 3-1 in the second-round series.
“Time heals all wounds,” Bednar said. “We’re going to talk to our team, trying to lay it out for them exactly what we need to see from everyone when it comes to effort and attitude and how much they care and how much they have to show that with their actions.
“Val has kind of let us down in that regard the last couple years. It’s a little different situation when you start dealing with someone’s personal life. I do think Val cares. I do think that he’s a really good teammate. He’s got some growing to do.”
Bednar said the team is waiting to hear back from the league about specifics on when Nichushkin can work out with the team. Nichushkin also abruptly left the team in a 2023 first-round playoff series against Seattle, missing the final five games of the postseason as the Avalanche lost the series 4-3.
Nichushkin’s under contract through the 2029-30 season after signing an eight-year, $49 million contract with the Avalanche in 2022.
“I’m sure Val is going to have some things he wants to say to the group,” Bednar said. “But…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/41319653/avalanche-unsure-gabriel-landeskog-artturi-lehkonen-return
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Publish date : 2024-09-19 01:51:23
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