Artturi Lehkonen

Despite being limited to 45 appearances in 2023-24, Lehkonen produced 16 goals, 18 assists, 103 shots on net and 12 power-play points. He sat out 35 games from Nov. 11-Jan. 20 due to a neck injury. Lehkonen missed another two outings because of an illness but racked up 13 tallies and 13 helpers in 33 contests following his extended absence. The 29-year-old forward has operated at about a 65-point pace over the last two seasons. However, he has been sidetracked by injuries and went into the offseason needing shoulder surgery following Colorado's second-round elimination in the playoffs. He might be available for the start of training camp, but he could be brought along slowly before Opening Night. Still, Lehkonen's upside is high for the 2024-25 campaign. He will likely continue to see playing time alongside Nathan MacKinnon, even if he begins some contests on the second line, and his role on Colorado's top power-play unit should be secure. His health will be the most important factor, but he is a worthwhile gamble for fantasy managers.

Lehkonen entered the 2022-23 season with plenty of sleeper potential because of Gabriel Landeskog's injury situation. The 28-year-old lived up to expectations with a career-high 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) despite suiting up in just 64 games. He also ranked fourth on the Avalanche with a personal-best 20 power-play points. Lehkonen's fantasy value remains high going into 2023-24, as Landeskog is expected to miss the entire season. With a healthier season, Lehkonen could record between 60-70 points this year.

Lehkonen hit the hockey version of the Powerball a season ago, getting dealt from the league-worst Canadiens to the league-best Avalanche at the trade deadline. It culminated with a Stanley Cup and Lehkonen was a main reason why. In 20 postseason contests, he had eight goals and six assists. His 19 goals and 38 points in 74 regular-season games were also a career-best mark. Lehkonen, who inked a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension with the Avalanche this past July, is an ideal depth player who can move up in the lineup if necessary. He's a late-round fantasy pick with the potential for considerably more depending on Colorado's injury situation.

Despite career lows in points (13) and games played (47) last year, Lehkonen did enough to earn a one-year contract from the Canadiens in free agency. The 26-year-old has the potential for a 30-point campaign in a full season, and he'll also log roughly 1.5 hits per game as a physical, bottom-six presence. The Finn also saw his average ice time dip to 13:25 per contest last season -- his fantasy value will almost exclusively be dictated by where he plays in the lineup. Lehkonen could have appeal in deeper formats if he's on the third line, but a fourth-line role would likely keep him in obscurity.

Lehkonen has developed into a steady middle-six forward during his four seasons with the Canadiens. He had 27 points, 120 hits and 140 shots on goal through 70 games last year. The Finn will lose playing time with Josh Anderson likely occupying a top-six role in 2020-21, but Lehkonen should be able to compete with Joel Armia for third-line duties. The 25-year-old Lehkonen should clock in at around 20 to 25 points, and his physical numbers may even get a slight boost if he's in a tough competition for ice time. There's some appeal here in deeper formats, but his lack of power-play usage will lower his ceiling.

Lehkonen posted a career-high 31 points and 20 assists in 2018-19, but dropped to an even lower shooting percentage (6.3%) than the previous year (7.3%), after which there was already talk about him being unlucky. There's no doubt that he has a hard shot and can deliver it, but it's no longer an issue of luck. Rather, it's an issue of whether the 24-year-old forward can diversify and enhance his offense. We know he can bang home a rebound and convert net-front chances, but can he get into position on a rush, have his body ready to shoot, and not skate into traffic? To make matters worse, he has yet to show the poise necessary to cash in when presented with high-danger scoring opportunities. Lehkonen had a sub-par 7.28 shot percentage on 73 high-danger scoring chances last season. It's a good thing that he remains responsible defensively, which keeps him on the ice, but maybe the effort required to be a complete player has taken away from his goal-scoring acumen. Either way, fantasy owners can leave him on the wire until he's able to exhibit some consistency as a point producer.

On paper, it looks as though Lehkonen took a step back last season after an impressive rookie campaign. He had 12 goals and nine assists over 66 games in 2017-18, a regression from the 18/10 line he posted in 73 games the previous year. However, the last memory we have is that eight of his 21 points and seven of his 12 goals came in the final 15 games. A more meaningful silver lining than his finish is that Lehkonen was second on the team in individual scoring chances and third in high-danger opportunities, per Natural Stat Trick. A 7.3 shooting percentage, less than the league average, suggests the second-year forward was snakebitten. He plays both ends of the ice well, a trait near and dear to the heart of head coach Claude Julien, and that alone should get him top-six minutes and time on the power play. Lehkonen is someone to watch in 2018-19.

Lehkonen, a 2013 second-round draft pick, chose to spend the last few seasons in Europe instead of the American Hockey League. That was a wise choice, as he came to North America as a 21-year-old and showed off an advanced hockey IQ -- acquired by facing older competition in Scandinavia. He made a seamless transition to the smaller rinks, using an accurate and quick release to score 18 goals, and he was one of the Canadiens’ top players in the postseason. Both GM Michel Therrien and head coach Claude Julien seemed to trust him as a defensive forward, yet he exceeded expectations by evolving into an important secondary source of offense while playing mostly third-line minutes. With a year under his belt and perhaps some added heft to his frame, Lehkonen could earn a regular spot as a second-line left winger and thus has definite sleeper appeal heading into the 2017-18 campaign.

Lehkonen, a second-round draft pick in the 2013 draft, was the rookie of the year for Kalpa in Finland's SM-Liiga in 2012-13. He has high offensive talent, but adding some bulk will help him at the NHL level. The 18-year-old sniper will return to skate for Kalpa this coming season.