Sakic has a lot to say about the acquisition of Lehkonen and reveals why he agreed to the trade
When the Habs traded Artturi Lehkonen to the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline, some pundits had mentioned that he could be the missing piece to the team's Stanley Cup win.
The Finnish forward proved the organization right to get him, as he had a great series and even scored the winning goal in Game 6 to help his team win the trophy for the first time in 21 years.
Lehkonen, who scored the goal that propelled the Canadiens to the finals last year, was extremely happy after the game when Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports spoke with him on the ice.
The former Habs man also looked back on the roller-coaster season he's just been through, having been traded to the Avalanche at the trade deadline for Justin Barron and a second-round pick in 2024.
But the big man responsible for Lehkonen coming to Colorado is undoubtedly the Avalanche's general manager, one Joe Sakic.
We had mentioned to you a few days ago that he had insisted to Kent Hughes to acquire him at the trade deadline and let's just say that he is very happy with the turn of events.
He's so good defensively that's what jumps out at people. But he's a guy who is able to score and make little plays that you don't notice."
Lehkonen, who finished the playoffs with 14 points, including eight goals in 20 games, will be a restricted free agent this summer and with his playoff run, it's a safe bet that the former No. 19 Nordiques won't hesitate to offer him a new contract.
| POLL | ||
How much money does Artturi Lehkonen deserve on his next contract? | ||
| 3 years, 3M per year | 30 | 12.9 % |
| 4 years, 4M per year | 92 | 39.5 % |
| 5 years, 3.5M per year | 37 | 15.9 % |
| 4 years, 5M per year | 74 | 31.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
