The Avalanche have been missing their “mayor,” but they remain optimistic he will return.

While most of the Avalanche will break for the Olympics after Wednesday’s game against San Jose until they return to practice Feb. 18, Logan O’Connor will keep working. The 29-year-old winger has not played a game this season after undergoing hip surgery over the summer. It looked like he was nearing a return in early November, but “soft tissue” issues unrelated to his hip surgery popped up and he hasn’t been seen on the ice much since.

The veteran forward is back skating, and the team is hopeful he’ll be back on the ice before the season ends.

“He’s back on the ice now, making progress,” coach Jared Bednar said after Tuesday’s optional skate. “He’ll be a guy that uses this break to his advantage. He’s planning on getting on the ice, staying on the ice, and working his way back to hopefully join the team at some point in the near future, if everything goes well.

“We feel confident in the plan, and he feels good about it, and he’s starting to ramp up here again.”

While O’Connor isn’t a superstar by any means, he is a crucial piece to the Avalanche, both on and off the ice. The winger is a big part of Colorado’s penalty kill and arguably their most dangerous forward while shorthanded. In addition to the energy he brings every game, he was the team’s most consistent forward during the Dallas series last postseason, picking up six points in seven games.

In the locker room, he’s become a large piece of the leadership group, becoming more vocal as his career has gone on. His potential return would no doubt bolster the team’s depth heading into the postseason.

O’Connor is in the first season of a six-year contract extension he signed that carries a cap hit of $2.5 million.