I don't know why Avalanche fans are rehashing the Lehkonen deal.
That being said, this management has mentioned how important puck moving defenseman are. You don't need many to hit, but you need at least one to hit. They had Mailloux, to whom they added Barron, Hutson, Engstrom and Matheson. You can relatively easily add defensive defenseman down the line, this deal being a good indicator of it. Like centers, you want to accumulate the position I hopes to up the probability of one hitting.
You also have to evaluate where your team is. How would Lehkonen fit many years later, when the team would be on the upswing. Will it reduce the cap flexibility to add cap dumps like Monahan, who garnered two firsts. Will it give you 2-6 additional points or more per season, meaning you miss out on Slaf/Reinbacher/Demidov. Then you add the value of an extra second, allowing you to target a 6'1" smooth skating RH center at the draft. No Habs fan is mad Lehkonen has been great for Colorado, everyone loved him and wished him success, so this is a strange flex Avs have been trying to do for the last two years.
