The top two players on the Colorado Avalanche are clear. With Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, anything positive is possible for this team. But after them, who would Avalanche fans name as the team’s third-best player?
We all know how valuable those two guys are on this team. They are players who never go unnoticed or unmentioned. The same could be said for this player I’m about to mention, though he doesn’t garner the same level of attention.
MacKinnon’s line-mate Artturi Lehkonen is the player I am referring to. After five seasons with the Canadiens, he was traded halfway through the 2021-22 season, contributing to 58 games for Montreal in that final year and then 16 games for the Avalanche to close out that regular season.
Lehkonen’s best season with Montreal in terms of goals came during his rookie year, when he scored 18. He has surpassed that goal total in three of the five seasons with the Avalanche.
In April, Nathan MacKinnon had this to say about his line mate:
"He’s always a special player in the playoffs,” MacKinnon said. “I think the style of game he plays thrives in the playoffs. He plays a very hard, inside game. He has such a great attitude. Every shift he’s going to give it his all and play his best, so we’re lucky to have him."Nathan MacKinnon on Artturi Lehkonen
Darn right they are lucky to have him.
Lehkonen doesn’t just contribute in the offensive zone. He also forechecks well and can do the dirty work to eventually feed someone such as MacKinnon. He can contribute net-front and get in the way of defenders to try and mix things up in front of opposing goaltenders. He also has a knack for getting his stick on shots and creating nasty deflections that are difficult for goaltenders to stop.
He is a player who doesn’t have to take over a game. He’s what you would call a complementary piece to the Avalanche’s puzzle. That’s all he needs to be. But if he could take another step in his game going forward, that would benefit the Avalanche more than you know because this team is already elite.
Being able to witness the resurgence of Lehkonen following his trade to Colorado is something else. It even got A Winning Habit talking recently. Just like Valeri Nichushkin, his game became even better when he was sent to a team with the strength the Avalanche have. Nichushkin was part of a supporting cast. Playing alongside MacKinnon naturally means Lehkonen doesn’t always receive the same recognition. That’s not a bad thing, but Lehkonen deserves a ton of praise for his hard work.
Sometimes, a player just needs a change of scenery in order to unlock hidden potential.
One area that I would love Lehkonen to take the next step in is the power play. Yes, the whole team struggled on the man-advantage last year. Lehkonen had just one goal and one assist in that phase. He had 24 shots on the power play, too. If assistant coach Dave Hakstol can figure out this stage of the Avalanche’s game, good luck stopping Colorado. Lehkonen figures to be a part of that success. I think that having Lehkonen participate in that net-front area part of his game would do wonders for the Avalanche. Having an extra body in the middle of everything creates havoc in front of the goalie, making it tough to track the puck.
Lehkonen should continue to be one of the most important members of the Avalanche, and they need him to continue doing what he does best if they are going to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
Add us as a preferred source on Google