Unfortunately, his progression stalled and he never topped 13 goals in a single season wearing a Canadiens uniform. While he remained a vital presence in the team’s middle-six, and famously scored the overtime goal in the 2021 playoffs to send the team to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993, his production never lived up to what fans had been hopeful for after that encouraging debut campaign. As the team entered a rebuild following their Stanley Cup Final loss, Lehkonen was promptly dealt to the contending Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Justin Barron and a second-round pick. An exciting young defensive prospect and high-round draft pick seemed to be sufficient compensation for a player of Lehkonen’s caliber. However, the player that left Montreal with 74 goals across parts of six seasons is not the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche fans watch on a regular basis.

Lehkonen’s Change of Scenery

Lehkonen had been a scapegoat in Montreal for several seasons due to his production failing to match the standards he set by his productive rookie season. Eventually, fans began to accept his role and his ceiling as a middle-six, defensively-sound forward who found the back of the net on occasion. With him in need of a new contract following the 2021-22 season, it became apparent that the then-25 year old would likely be on the move for the first time in his career.

After setting a new career-high in points with 29 in just 58 games that season in Montreal, his production skyrocketed upon suiting up for Colorado. After six goals in 16 regular season games post-trade, Lehkonen followed that up with an eight-goal, 14-point playoff performance in 20 games as he captured his first Stanley Cup. Furthermore, he scored the overtime goal to clinch a Stanley Cup Final appearance for the second consecutive season, and would add the game-winning goal in the third period of the clinching Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Surely then-general manager (and now president of hockey operations) Joe Sakic and the Avalanche management were thrilled that one of their prized deadline acquisitions was such a big contributor so quickly.

A Proven Playoff Performer

Given his brief postseason heroics with the Canadiens, coupled with his immediate impact for the Avalanche, one thing appeared certain — Lehkonen was born for the playoffs. Playing on a competitive team as opposed to the typically fringe-playoff or bottom-feeding Canadiens proved to be the change of scenery he needed to live up to the potential Habs fans saw all the way back in 2016-17.

In three postseasons with the Avalanche — including last season’s surprise first-round exit at the hands of the Seattle Kraken — Lehkonen has recorded 16 goals and 28 points in 32 playoff games. This season, he scored a goal in all five first-round games against the Winnipeg Jets as the Avs took them down handily. For reference, he already ranks 21st in franchise history in playoff scoring, and 10th in playoff points-per-game. In fact, since his arrival, only Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, and Devon Toews have scored more points in the postseason for the Avs. He ranks 11th in playoff goals among all skaters during this time period.

Quality of Linemates & Power Play

Lehkonen hardly ever played top-line minutes in Montreal. That role had been reserved for several other Habs forwards during his tenure, such as Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov upon his arrival, to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in his final season with the team. He was part of a rotating cast of fringe-middle six forwards on a poor Canadiens roster, constantly being shuffled with the likes of Josh Anderson, Mike Hoffman, Joel Armia, Rem Pitlick, and others. It’s safe to say his elevated level of production can be partially attributed to his higher quality of linemates in Colorado, though Lehkonen himself still deserves much of the praise.

He has displayed higher confidence levels since joining the Avalanche, as evidenced by his 14.4 shooting percentage with the team. Conversely, the only full season with the Canadiens in which he shot above 10 percent was his aforementioned rookie campaign. His seven power-play goals in 45 games in 2023-24 were one more than his entire tenure with the Canadiens, and he currently spends most of his time on Colorado’s top unit (which ranked fifth in the NHL this season) alongside MacKinnon, Rantanen, Makar, and Valeri Nichushkin. He’s also deployed on the team’s second penalty-killing unit, a role he also played in Montreal.

Lehkonen’s Skyrocketing Stats

Lehkonen is a player who can be deployed in virtually any situation — power play, penalty kill, with the net empty, in overtime, and more. He has always possessed the skills and qualities of an established 200-foot NHL player. However, during his Canadiens tenure, the offense was always the most lacking face of his game.

Since being traded to the Avalanche, his 43 goals and 94 points in 125 games equate to roughly a 28-goal, 62-point pace over a full season. For comparison, his season averages for the Canadiens equated to roughly 15 goals and 31 points, meaning his goal and point production have essentially doubled since joining Colorado. The additions to the lineup of himself and Nichushkin to complement the team’s high-flying superstars such as MacKinnon and Makar was a major factor in their eventual Cup win in 2022.

Lehkonen will look to continue to build off of his success with the Avalanche and make another deep playoff run. Having cemented himself as a certified top-six forward who has been known to rise to the occasion under great pressure, he will continue to see opportunities with some of the NHL’s best players. Signing a five-year, $22.5 million contract in the ensuing summer following their Cup victory, “Lehky” will likely thrive in the Mile High City for the foreseeable future.