Did the Canadiens Lose the Artturi Lehkonen Trade?

To say former Montreal Canadiens winger Artturi Lehkonen played a big role in the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup Victory would be an understatement. The Finnish winger scored the game winning goal in both the Western Conference and Stanley Cup clinching games.

Lehkonen had eight goals and 14 points in 20 games, en route to his first Stanley Cup victory. With all that success, it’s led many to ask the question, did Kent Hughes get enough in return for this player at the trade deadline?

Lehkonen was traded to Colorado in exchange for 20 year old defenseman Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick. Now at first glance, that return may be underwhelming. After all, Lehkonen just helped lead a team to their first Stanley Cup in 21 years. And it’s fair to assume that Colorado has zero regrets about making that trade. Just ask Nathan MacKinnon.

Unfortunately, the Canadiens cannot re-negotiate, but that doesn’t mean the return they got for Lehkonen was a bad one. While we will have to wait and see what that 2024 second-round pick will become, Justin Barron is already in Montreal, and appeared to be finding his own before an injury prematurely ended his season.

Prior to that injury, Barron had suited up in five games for the Canadiens, where he registered a goal and an assist. In those games, Barron showed off his great skating, and slowly began to look more comfortable roaming the blueline.

Barron is still a long way away from reaching his full potential, but at just 20 years old, there is plenty of time for him to find his footing. He has just seven total games of NHL experience and is still only one year into his professional career after spending the 2020-21 season in the QMJHL.

It’s worth mentioning that the original offer on the table for Lehkonen was only Justin Barron, as the Avalanche wanted Lehkonen but were originally unwilling to add anything more. As reported in the Athletic by Pierre LeBrun, Joe Sakic’s love of Lehkonen’s game ultimately ended in him adding the second rounder to get him to Colorado. Only then was Kent Hughes comfortable with moving Lehkonen.

And Hughes was smart to make Justin Barron the centrepiece of the trade, because he fits in well with the team Hughes has said he wants to build. The Canadiens GM said he wants his team to play with speed, and Justin Barron is definitely capable of doing this. His greatest strength is his skating, which he got to show off a few times in his short stint with the Habs.

Losing Artturi Lehkonen definitely stings, but it’s not as though the Canadiens gave him away for nothing. There are several factors behind the trade, and there are several factors behind his success in Colorado. As has been discussed rigorously, Lehkonen was a player who famously failed to capitalize on scoring chances in Montreal.

This season, he had more success, scoring 13 goals by the trade deadline. There was no guarantee that he’d continue to score like that in Montreal, but his trade value was at an all time high.

After he was traded, he got to play on a much more talented Colorado team, and was even inserted into their top six, a role he practically never occupied in Montreal. It’s not surprising then, to see him have more success with the most talented group he’s ever played with.

Of course, Lehkonen is also a tremendous defensive forward, which is why he was and always will be valued highly by a team even if the points are not there.

It made sense to trade Artturi Lehkonen, and in time, what the Habs got in return for him will look really good too. The Habs are rebuilding, and that means patience. Colorado definitely won their side of the deal, but that doesn’t mean the Habs have lost.

This trade has win/win written all over it. It was meant to help the Avalanche win now and it did. It was also meant to help the Canadiens win down the road and it certainly has the potential to do that as well.

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