The Montreal Canadiens today are searching for a winger who could play in their top six, but had the organization been a little more patient with their 2013 second-round pick, they could already have their player. Since leaving the Canadiens, Artturi Lehkonen has shown massive improvements in his offensive game, but only showed glimpses of that talent in Montreal. During his time in Montreal, Lehkonen showed his value on the team's penalty kill unit, regularly playing a bottom-six role. Now with the Colorado Avalanche, Lehkonen has rounded out his game and plays on the team’s top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. The Canadiens were in the midst of a rebuild and were looking to recoup assets, but looking back at the deal now, the team could use a player that fits Lehkonen’s profile.
Lehkonen's tenure with the Canadiens
Lehkonen always had the potential to be an effective offensive player in the NHL. During his time in Finland with KalPa Kuopio, a 17-year-old Lehkonen finished second on the team in scoring, recording 14 goals and 30 points in 45 games. His performance that season led the Canadiens to select him with the 55th overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. Lehkonen did not come over to North America right away. Instead, he swapped the Finnish Elite League for the SHL, signing a two-year contract with Frolunda HC. Lehkonen struggled in his first year in Sweden, recording just 16 points in 47 games, but he adjusted in his second season in a more competitive league. Lehkonen had 16 goals and 33 points in 49 games, but was even better in the playoffs. He chipped in with 11 goals and added eight assists in 16 games, helping Frolunda HC win the Le Mat Trophy. With his contract now over with Frolunda HC, Lehkonen signed his entry-level deal, officially starting his tenure with the Canadiens.
Lehkonen made the Canadiens roster out of training camp in his first season. While the point total was not very impressive, just 28 points in 73 games, he did show he had an eye for goal, recording 18 as a rookie. Lehkonen’s stats pretty much stayed at that level for his entire Canadiens tenure. You could count on him to give you in the teens for goals and high 20s/low 30s for points. Lehkonen had a role to play on the Canadiens. He was a third-line forward who was mainly utilized on the forecheck and penalty kill, but could chip in on the offensive end when called upon. The prime example of that was when Lehkonen scored one of the bigger goals in recent Canadiens history. In Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Lehkonen scored the overtime-winning goal to send the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. Montreal would go on to lose the final in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, in a final hurrah for a lot of the team’s veterans. The next season, the Canadiens would be one of the worst teams in the NHL, missing team leaders like Carey Price and Shea Weber. The organization was ready for a rebuild, and Lehkonen was one of the casualties.
Lehkonen realized his potential with the Avalanche
As the Canadiens were on their way to finishing the 2021-22 season with the worst record in the NHL and securing the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, the team was selling off parts of their roster. At the trade deadline, the Canadiens sent Lehkonen to the Avalanche, who were looking for that final piece to help them win the Stanley Cup. The deal sent Lehkonen to Colorado in exchange for defenceman Justin Barron and a second-round pick in the 2024 draft. Lehkonen made an immediate impact on the Avalanche, recording six goals and nine points in 16 games, but was even better in the playoffs. He had eight goals and 14 points in 20 games, helping the Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup since 2001. Despite struggling with injuries since joining the Avalanche, Lehkonen realized the offensive potential that was left buried in the Canadiens' bottom six. It definitely benefits Lehkonen’s game that he is now playing on the team’s top line with one of the best players in the NHL, MacKinnon. However, Canadiens fans are left wondering if he could be doing the same thing alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Lehkonen has reached the 20-goal mark in three out of the last four seasons, scoring a career-high 27 in the 2024-25 season, while playing in just 69 games. Lehkonen struggled to break the 30-point mark with the Canadiens, but now with the Avalanche, he regularly hits the high 40s to low 50s in points despite never playing more than 70 games in a season. Lehkonen has turned himself into a player who fits the profile of exactly what the Canadiens are missing. The Canadiens definitely gave up on Lehkonen too soon. Barron, the defenceman that the Canadiens got in the trade, never cemented a role in Montreal’s lineup and was later traded for Alexandre Carrier. The Canadiens never used the second-round pick they received from the Avalanche. Instead, they used it to trade up in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft to select Michael Hage. So while the Canadiens definitely gave up on Lehkonen too soon, it has the potential to all work out in the end.
Add us as a preferred source on Google