The good news has rolled in for the Colorado Avalanche this summer. Yesterday, Logan O’Connor made his first appearance skating at the practice facility. O’Connor has not played in a game since March 4th. Later in the week, the Avalanche announced they declared the forward done for the season as he had scheduled hip surgery. The team informed the media that O’Connor had been skating through the problem for some time and needed to get it resolved.
Video captured Logan O’Connor yesterday, hitting the ice for the first time since surgery in March. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado
📽 @ItsSteveSalazar pic.twitter.com/PuXSL5FuC8
— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) June 13, 2024
What this means
With the return of former Denver Pioneer, the Avalanche can count on a gritty middle-six forward. He is a master at killing penalties, leading the team in short-handed goals with three. After his departure, Colorado had to find their way on the penalty kill, lacking his aggressive speed and tactics. This would frazzle the opponent and lead to scoring opportunities for O’Connor.
Logan O’Connor is taking in the practice from the bleachers #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/LJgQUrav8L
— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 4, 2024
O’Connor has become known for his speed around the league. This season, he had a top speed of 23.11 miles per hour (mph). This was enough to place him among the 88th percentile in the league. The pesky forward would see just over two and half speed bursts over 20 mph per game, with an injured hip.
LOGAN O'CONNOR HAS HIS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK! @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/tRDVuvrhzZ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 20, 2024
The Avalanche desperately need O’Connor’s determination and refusal to give up on a play. He is relentless on his forecheck and would chase down opponents from one end of the ice to the other.
Conclusion
O’Connor’s return will bring welcomed relief to the very shallow depth pool on the right side. I don’t think there were ever questions about O’Connor’s health, but updates are always nice to have. As of right now, Mikko Rantanen, O’Connor, Oskar Olausson and Nikolai Kovalenko are the only right wingers signed to the team. Olausson will be returning from shoulder surgery himself and Kovalenko is still getting his feet wet. The team strongly felt the absence of the fan favorite in the last part of the season. His return will provide a much-needed spark after a playoff exit.