Confirmed with Link: Artturi Lehkonen (50% Retained) Traded to Colorado for a 2024 2nd Round Pick & Justin Barron

[BaseballCoach]

1. Lehkonen signed a 4.5M/y contract, Montreal had to clear room to fit Dach 3.36M/y deal...
2. last season was the SECOND time Lehkoken reached 30 pts.

Hugues traded away a 25 pts/y player for Barron+pick... not the 50 pts player he became playing with Rantanen, Makar, Landeskog or MacKinnon.

Fact check = Lehkonen was scoring 0.50 ppg with us before the trade.

 

[salbutera]

Weren't you saying glorified Josh Gorges (Harris) wasn't anywhere near NHL ready and might never be just like 2 weeks ago ? Why are you being so definitive on Barron then ?

The trade might end up with nothing and a loss. But, it's still too soon to say and also expected in a rebuild. Teams in rebuilds trade away players knowing they're going for darts on the board. The hope is that enough hit that the team ends up competitive.

Let’s see how Harris does once tiddlywinks hockey starts ramping down over next few weeks…

 

[Rob Sense]

Why this digging up old trades...Barron will be playing with the Habs in 2022-2023 and will be solid. Leks is a good player and fits the Avs perfectly. Barron will be a great RD for us. Give it time...just like my dinner it needs to simmer a while!

 

[BLONG7]

Why this digging up old trades...Barron will be playing with the Habs in 2022-2023 and will be solid. Leks is a good player and fits the Avs perfectly. Barron will be a great RD for us. Give it time...just like my dinner it needs to simmer a while!

Trade was a good one for both teams......Lekky picked a great time to have a career year.......let's see if he can keep it up???

 

[Garo]

I am honestly very confused about the complaints tbh. "We should have gotten better", like what? Barron had a very good rookie season in the pros, was fitting a need, checked all the boxes and we got a pick on top of it. He's struggled for ten games after a pretty bad injury, ok. "We should have kept him" I mean, yeah, I was fine keeping him cause he was one of my favourite Habs, but it's fairly understandable why a 27 years old was traded on the eve of a big contract when completely scrapping the team was a real possiblity for mid to long term.

But really I just don't get why this is something to heavily get invested in now.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I think that some people want Barron to fail, because they think that they'll be able to argue that Bergevin is better at trades than Hughes.

No, I don't so. This is suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

a good prospect? he didn't show anything back then and he doesn't look anywhere close to being an NHL player now, what are you people watching if you consider this guy a good prospect?

by all means trade the guy if you think it's needed for the rebuild but at least get good pieces back

Barron scored 27 pts in 52 ahl games in his d+1 and d+2 years combined. Those are awesome stats for a defenseman.

 

[Kojo]

We need a player like this who is 18 years old for our rebuild.

 

[Garo]

We need a player like this who is 18 years old for our rebuild.

Honestly Beck gave me some of those vibes in preseason.

And no I'm not talking about the bazillions posts

 

[Natey]

I miss you.

 

[Kojo]

Honestly Beck gave me some of those vibes in preseason.

And no I'm not talking about the bazillions posts

I was more thinking about Slafkovsky, can you imagine a 6'4 240 lbs Lehkonen?

 

[Natey]

I was more thinking about Slafkovsky, can you imagine a 6'4 240 lbs Lehkonen?

I don't think Slaf is the same type of player. He's a hard worker for sure, but Lehkonen was relentless on the forecheck. I think Beck and Mysak are probably the closest in our system, but both are also centres and very reliable defensively, so they won't be quite as hard/deep on the forecheck.

 

[HabzSauce]

If it weren't for our bloated offence in a few years I would be worried about Barron trade.

I'm not much of a fan of Barron. Hope he make me eat dirt but if he doesn't pan out we have enough assets up front to upgrade D I think.

Ideally though he gives us the guhle treatment next year at camp and wows us all

Trading an expiring UFA like Lehkonen was a good idea regardless of whether the Habs can fit him under the cap.

He won't be as good when the Habs window opens, and his roster spot can go to Slafkovsky/Ylonen/Mesar/Beck/etc.

Yeah we don't need lehkonen at all. Our forwards crop after this draft is going to be bloated

 

[Natey]

If it weren't for our bloated offence in a few years I would be worried about Barron trade.

I'm not much of a fan of Barron. Hope he make me eat dirt but if he doesn't pan out we have enough assets up front to upgrade D I think.

Ideally though he gives us the guhle treatment next year at camp and wows us all

Honestly, I'd be happy if he even turned into a solid 3rd pairing guy. If he could give us what Kovacevic is giving us right now, with a some more offense, I'd be thrilled.

Lehkonen is a hard player to replace, but we made the trade, likely due to contracts, so as long as he can contribute positively, I'll be happy in the long run.

 

[Kojo]

I don't think Slaf is the same type of player. He's a hard worker for sure, but Lehkonen was relentless on the forecheck. I think Beck and Mysak are probably the closest in our system, but both are also centres and very reliable defensively, so they won't be quite as hard/deep on the forecheck.

Slaf is so young though. In a few years he might become relentless on the forecheck.

 

[Natey]

Slaf is so young though. In a few years he might become relentless on the forecheck.

He may be, but if he's in the corners, he's also going to have a hard time getting that great release off. I'd rather have a player like Lehkonen on his line getting the pucks for him.

But no doubt Slaf will fight for pucks and win battles consistently. He's a hard working player who loves to compete.

 

[HabzSauce]

Honestly, I'd be happy if he even turned into a solid 3rd pairing guy. If he could give us what Kovacevic is giving us right now, with a some more offense, I'd be thrilled.

Lehkonen is a hard player to replace, but we made the trade, likely due to contracts, so as long as he can contribute positively, I'll be happy in the long run.

Yeah me too that'd be great. Fills a need and then we can use the offence to get a top 2/4 RD depending on how Mailloux looks by then.

We are in incredible shape

 

[Natey]

Yeah me too that'd be great. Fills a need and then we can use the offence to get a top 2/4 RD depending on how Mailloux looks by then.

We are in incredible shape

Yeah, once these contracts are out of the way, this looks like a fantastic young core. And even a bunch of the Bergevin/Timmins drafted prospects are going to excel with a better development system in place

 

[SlafySZN]

To do what exactly?

My god.....the guy was even healthy scratch last year and on the 4th line and we should've getting more than the equivalent of a 1st + 2nd round pick?

Yep, Lehkonen is looking next to most likely one of the 3 best forward in the game today....but would he look that good next to Dach or Dvorak this year?

I’m very happy we got Barron and i like the trade.

But yes actually, he would look very good on Dach’s wing. Exactly the type of player who would look great with him. Now Dach’s stuck with Drouin and Anderson.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I’m very happy we got Barron and i like the trade.

But yes actually, he would look very good on Dach’s wing. Exactly the type of player who would look great with him. Now Dach’s stuck with Drouin and Anderson.

If Lehkonen can look good in Colorado's top-6, he could have been a good two-way LW for SZ-CC and leave Monahan to help out Dach and Anderson

 

[SlafySZN]

If Lehkonen can look good in Colorado's top-6, he could have been a good two-way LW for SZ-CC and leave Monahan to help out Dach and Anderson

Yeah i could’ve seen this too. Good to help the young guys.

But i’m more than okay with how things are now, having Barron in the system, we needed a right D. And we have a chance at a top 5 pick in a stacked draft, even if i don’t like seeing Dach with Drouin and Anderson.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Yeah i could’ve seen this too. Good to help the young guys.

But i’m more than okay with how things are now, having Barron in the system, we needed a right D. And we have a chance at a top 5 pick in a stacked draft, even if i don’t like seeing Dach with Drouin and Anderson.

Drouin isn't there past this season anyway.

 

[ReHabs]

Huge game from Lehkonen



Did Hughes get enough for him? 2nd round pick + Barron for Lehkonen 50% retained

 

[tazsub3]

Huge game from Lehkonen



Did Hughes get enough for him? 2nd round pick + Barron for Lehkonen 50% retained

At the time , for the lekh he traded , he got a huge haul.
The way lekh evolved with the AVS, we can only say he is worth more now .
Would have loved to have that player with today development , however I am very conscious that only way we get the 1st with monahan is clearing salaries like lekhonen.

 

[Andy]

Huge game from Lehkonen



Did Hughes get enough for him? 2nd round pick + Barron for Lehkonen 50% retained

He got enough for the Lekhnonen at the time of the trade. Obviously, it's lower than what the current Lekhonen is worth.

This is why we really need to get some stars on the club because they elevate the play and production of other player. I don't think Lekhonen ever produces like this with the current the talent on the habs.