A Winning Habit
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Habs Prospect Artturi Lehkonen Could Be an Offensive Solution

By William Mccomb

Nov 11, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin speaks at a press conference before the game against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin speaks at a press conference before the game against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Habs need scoring and top prospect Artturi Lehkonen could be a solution to the team’s offensive woes.

The Montreal Canadiens are in desperate need of scoring up front. The Habs also don’t have much in terms of high upside offensive talent that are close to NHL-ready.

The first statement is completely true, the Habs need offence in a bad way and should be the area the team spends most of its resources.

The second statement is only partly true. The Habs do lack high-end offensive talent that are currently playing in North America(CHL, NCAA or AHL). However, Montreal does possess some very intriguing forward prospects who are currently employed in Europe.

Last week, I wrote about Martin Reway and how he could be a potential solution to the Habs offensive woes. This week, I am putting the focus on a lesser known, less established but still as intriguing prospect, Left Wing Artturi Lehkonen.

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Lehkonen is a Finnish-born winger who was 2nd round(55th overall) draft pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. Lehkonen is a bit on the small side, standing 5’11” and weighing just 163 lbs. If he wants to make the transition to the North American game, he will need to add some bulk to his frame.

Despite being just 20 years old, Lehkonen has 5 years of pro experience in Europe, three years in the SM-Liiga in Finland and the past two in the Swedish Hockey League. All told, Lehkonen has played nearly 200 pro games in two of Europe’s best leagues. That is a lot of professional experience for such a young player.

Outside of a year-long adjustment to the SHL in 2014-15, Lehkonen has been a consistent scorer, ranging around 0.60 to 0.70 Points Per Game since turning pro full-time. Those aren’t on the same level as fellow prospect Martin Reway but the consistency is nice to see from a young player.

Scouting Report

I personally have not seen Lehkonen play since he captained the Finnish World Junior team in 2014-15 and admittedly, he did not look very good as a 19 year old, recording just a single goal in 5 games. In his defense, however, the entire Finnish team struggled to score that year with just 8 goals in 5 games.

Outside of that incredibly small sample size, the reviews of Lehkonen all generally the same. He is a speedy offensive winger with strong offensive instincts, a growing defensive game and could add more size to his frame. Elite Prospects sums up Lehkonen pretty well with this quote:

"A small winger with good scoring-instincts, Lehkonen is very good with the puck and has great stickhandling. He is highly competitive and while often physically at a disandvantage, Lehkonen is not afraid to enter battles in corners. He doesn’t have a great top-gear but is a smooth skater with good technique. He must gain strength and add power to his skating and once his physique is at an acceptabale level, Lehkonen can be a major offensive threat and utilize his excellent hockey sense even better."

That is a very intriguing scouting report and offers a small glimpse into Lehkonen’s potential. I liken Lehkonen to a less aggressive but more offensively gifted Brendan Gallagher. It’s a lot of praise since Gallagher is an integral member of the Habs but I believe Lehkonen could eventually be a 20-25 goal and 50-60 point winger at the NHL level.

Lehkonen’s Future

Artturi Lehkonen just finished up a two-year contract with the Frolunda Indians. He reportedly signed a one-year extension for the 2016-17 season, although I cannot find confirmation on this.

Regardless of an extension, Montreal does receive a month to negotiate with Lehkonen’s camp in May or June. This could lead to Montreal negotiating a buy-out of his SHL contract so he can sign an NHL Entry-Level deal. Lehkonen is also in the exact same situation as Martin Reway, with the Habs having one more year before potentially losing his rights on June 1, 2017.

However, much like Reway’s situation, why wait and run the risk of losing Lehkonen? I believe the Habs should and need to get Lehkonen under contract and playing in North America beginning in the 2016-17 season.

Next: Martin Reway Could Solve Habs Scoring Issue

Lehkonen does not possess the same level of skill as Reway but his versatility, growth defensively and experience should allow him to play in any role at the NHL level as a rookie. I’m not entirely convinced Lehkonen’s offensive talent would transition as quickly as Reway’s but I do believe Lehkonen is NHL-ready and would thrive in any coaching system, including Michel Therrien’s.

Unlike Reway, I don’t get the same sense that Lehkonen would need a guaranteed NHL spot to come to North America. If he came over and failed to earn a spot on the Habs, I don’t envision him having an issue playing at the AHL level, especially since the team is no longer in Hamilton, which was reportedly an issue for some European prospects(see Magnus Nygren)

Saying all of that, I believe Lehkonen should be utilized and given a solid chance to prove his worth as a 2nd line scoring winger on the Habs. I think that is where he would thrive most and where I believe his value lies if brought over. Barring a completely underwhelming training camp, injury or other circumstance, I do not see a reason why Lehkonen would not make the current Habs roster come October.

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