West Notes: Lehkonen, Fowler, Nurse

Whether Avalanche winger Artur Lehkonen Whether he will be there on opening night remains to be seen, reports John Matisz of The Score.

Following a comment earlier this week by Nathan MacKinnon which suggests that Lehkonen is not “Season start“” went unnoticed in the Avs' lineup, Matisz reached out to the team for confirmation and was told there was no set timetable for his return. At final meetings in May, Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said Lehkonen would need to undergo shoulder surgery during the offseason, but his absence was not expected to extend into the regular season.

That assumption was questioned last month by head coach Jared Bednar, who confirmed that Lehkonen would not be ready to begin training camp and expressed doubt as to whether he would be cleared for Colorado's season opener.

Finn, 29, has established himself as a true top-six winger in Denver since being signed from the Canadiens just before the 2022 trade deadline. However, injuries have limited him since his arrival – especially last season. A neck injury held him back from 45 appearances this year, but he still managed to score 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points while averaging over 18 minutes a night.

More from the Western Conference can be found here:

• Ducks defender Noun Fowler recognizes most of what Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said when he reported last week that both parties were looking for a new home for him on the transfer market.”I understand that I'm in the second half of my career and these guys are just getting into their stride.,” the veteran defender told Eric Stephens of The Athletic, referring to Anaheim’s rebuild. “These are the people who will take this team where it wants to go.“Stephens listed the Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Jets and Stars as some speculative trade targets.
• The injury puts Oilers defender Darnell NurseThe forward's availability for the start of training camp was in jeopardy, as reported by the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson during the Stanley Cup Final, and the lingering effects are directly related to the hit he took from the Panthers forward in Game 2. Evan RodriguesThe defenseman sat out most of the game after the first period goal, but did not miss a game in Games 3 through 7.