Canadiens: That Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
By John Wiens
In the last few weeks we’ve seen the rising stock of Rem Pitlick, Artturi Lehkonen, and Cole Caufield. They’ve all distinguished themselves as bright lights on a team that lost its two major stars to start the season. But a number of veterans values have taken a nosedive. Joel Armia, Mike Hoffman and Mathieu Perreault have little to no chance to be traded at the deadline, and if some GM does trade for them on a contender I’d question their sanity. For the teams looking for a hot hand, however, Lehkonen might be an option.
This is the most talked about tweet in Montréal in the last 24 hours.
Arturi Lehkonen is now the piece in play in Montreal. High interest in the 26 year old forward. Decision time for the Canadiens. He could help the Habs for the next 4-5 years. His value to the team being measured against his trade return.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 18, 2022
Anyone want to take a stab on what a Lehkonen entering his prime is worth? (And lets forgive Dregs for the typo, it happens)
How many players do you know who can: play almost anywhere in the lineup, in almost any situation, is on pace to score 20, on any special teams unity you need? This seasons struggles didn’t stop Lehkonen from finally putting it all together. With Calgary and Tampa Bay already upgrading their forwards, the pressure is on other teams to find a way to make room for someone who rises to the occasion in the playoffs, but it has to be a team that wants to make a hockey deal rather than a rental.
Which team needs a Swiss Army Knife go and whats the return?