Prospect Info: Artturi Lehkonen

[Rise from the Ashes]

The organization loves players like Carr, Shaw, Radulov, Gallagher, Byron, Danault, and Lehkonen: guys who are tenacious and spunky. They love their grinders.

 

[KBstyle]

I remember Bournival scoring a lot in pre-season but as the season start the magic was gone. I just hope if he make the team he will stay in a top 6 role. If not go back to Sweden.

 

[get25]

Still wish we were stronger down the middle... 1st line I like but Plekanec Centering guys like Lehkonen and Radulov just isn't that appealing. Plek is a solid 3rd line C at this point, should not be in Top 6. We need a #2 Center and we have some young assets to acquire one and will still have a lot of young assets left.

How many third line center have 50 points?
How many teams have two centers with 50+ points?

There was 85 forwards who scored 50 points last season (Plek got 54 in 61st position ahad of Kesler, Stepan, Parise, Landeskog, Saad, Williams, Nielsen (32 just signed for 5.25M for 6 years).
Assuming a third (28) are centers: 50 points is certainly top-6 (and top-3 in most teams). There is about 10 centers with 60+ points in the league.

You can lower the bar: how many third line center have 40 points?
There was 136 players with 40 points. A third being centers: 45 centers scored 40 points.

TBH, I would be pretty happy with DD getting 30 points as a third line center.
As for Plek, having him at 61st in the league in forwards given his defensive responsibilities is pretty good. All of this for 6M for only two years.

 

[get25]

I love this meme about Plekanec being a third line centre.. Third line centres don't consistently put up 50 point seasons in this league while playing well defensively.

Hell, the standard of scoring is so low that you can make the case that, even in purely offensive terms, Plekanec is a first line centre. I will not push this claim, but have some perspective. Even if we just stare at his playoff production it is consistent with the .5ppg baseline that has been standardized for second line players in this league.

I would be concerned with Plekanec centering something like Lehkonen and Andrighetto together, but Radulov changes the dynamic of the line entirely and allows you to be more liberal with who you put beside Plekanec.

The bigger problem is that Lehkonen is part of a glut of average sized/small skilled wingers that will be in competition with eachother for the next few years. We will necessarily have to move one or two of Carr/Hudon/Lehkonen/Reway/Ghetto soon.

Totally agree about Plek's production.

With Radulov and Lehkonen it could be a very good second line.

Many remember Lehkonen when he was drafted at 5'11" and 165 lbs.
He is now 6' and 184 lbs (182 lbs when he was interviewed during the rookie camp).

 

[Goldenhands]

The thing Lehkonen does that other players he is competing with dont is he does the little things. Good forechecker, goes to the net, takes hits to make plays, and tracks back defensively. Even if he is not putting the puck in the net he is contributing to positive plays.

Exactly, my only concern is on the injury side, he plays with so much intensity and grit that I'm a bit effraid he gets hurt at some point.. But as you said, he does alot of little things very well always giving a full effort in all 3 zone, he is very fast and an agile skater, extremmely good on the forecheck.. his forechecking alone should earn him a spot on the team..

 

[get25]

Yeah that was a hell of a shot, and probably the reason he is so dangerous at all

but i agree with the bolded part big time, you can SEE he has been playing against 30 year olds for a good 4-5 years now, which is fantastic to see, not afraid to get chippy, andrighetto is also like this, but just a tad too small for my liking unfortunately...

Did not know that during those three years in Liiga in Finland he was playing against 25-40 years old players.
I looked back and he was second in his team in Liiga the year before we drafted him.

He certainly did play with men since very young.
Would like to see him get to Teravainen level.

 

[Gyfu]

2 cents... saying ghetto is small (although he is) compared to carr and lehkonen is funny since he's heavier than lehkonen who's 2to3 inches taller and carr who's 4 inches taller but weighs pretty much the same as ghetto... height has it's pros and cons... power/strength/will/smarts/speed is what we should look at... i guess giroux/gally/marchand/gaudreau/pavelski and so on have no business in the nhl lol... how about st-louis/fleury... they should have never been nhlers i guess...

 

[BaseballCoach]

Exactly, my only concern is on the injury side, he plays with so much intensity and grit that I'm a bit effraid he gets hurt at some point.. But as you said, he does alot of little things very well always giving a full effort in all 3 zone, he is very fast and an agile skater, extremmely good on the forecheck.. his forechecking alone should earn him a spot on the team..

Not sure Lehkonen is "very fast" by NHL standards. Smart player, knows where to go and gets there fairly quickly by not wasting any time and energy. Not as fast as Andrighetto, probably around the speed of Brendan Gallagher or Daniel Carr from what I could see, but I will keep an eye on him to determine if I am under-rating him a tad.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

How many third line center have 50 points?
How many teams have two centers with 50+ points?

There was 85 forwards who scored 50 points last season (Plek got 54 in 61st position ahad of Kesler, Stepan, Parise, Landeskog, Saad, Williams, Nielsen (32 just signed for 5.25M for 6 years).
Assuming a third (28) are centers: 50 points is certainly top-6 (and top-3 in most teams). There is about 10 centers with 60+ points in the league.

You can lower the bar: how many third line center have 40 points?
There was 136 players with 40 points. A third being centers: 45 centers scored 40 points.

TBH, I would be pretty happy with DD getting 30 points as a third line center.
As for Plek, having him at 61st in the league in forwards given his defensive responsibilities is pretty good. All of this for 6M for only two years.

I was about to respond the same thing but saw your post.

This "Plekanec is a 3rd line center" myth has got to stop. It's not reality.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Did not know that during those three years in Liiga in Finland he was playing against 25-40 years old players.
I looked back and he was second in his team in Liiga the year before we drafted him.

He certainly did play with men since very young.
Would like to see him get to Teravainen level.

He had about the same amount of points as a 18 yold as Patrick Laine and Jesse Puljujaarvi in the same league at the same age.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

I was about to respond the same thing but saw your post.

This "Plekanec is a 3rd line center" myth has got to stop. It's not reality.

But but he'd be the third line Center in Pittsburgh!!!

 

[Habs100]

The organization loves players like Carr, Shaw, Radulov, Gallagher, Byron, Danault, and Lehkonen: guys who are tenacious and spunky. They love their grinders.

Radulov and Gallagher are not grinders. They are HIGHLY offensive players who are also gritty. Lehkonen and Carr have the potential to be 20 goal scorers. Byron, Danault, and Shaw are solid bottom six players.

 

[Lehkonen4Calder]

Can't see him not starting in the top 6/9

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

LeCanon

 

[NobleSix]

LeCanon

I like it.

Safe to say Lehkonen has cracked the team!

 

[Hannibal]

Welcome home Lehkonen.

 

[Habs100]

In an interview between periods tonight, Bergevin pretty much said Lehknonen has made the team.

 

[Gains]

#13 would look good on him

 

[TT1]

Arty LeCanon

 

[Tyson]

Not sure Lehkonen is "very fast" by NHL standards. Smart player, knows where to go and gets there fairly quickly by not wasting any time and energy. Not as fast as Andrighetto, probably around the speed of Brendan Gallagher or Daniel Carr from what I could see, but I will keep an eye on him to determine if I am under-rating him a tad.

Maybe my tv screen is playing tricks on me but he damn sure looks fast to me.

 

[montreal]

Congrats to him on making the team, thought he would spend another year in the SHL to try and bulk up a bit more but with his skill level, guess they felt he is better off here now. Can't wait to see what kind of season he has, since he's got a sick shot and is really good at tipping pucks in front of the net. Should help the PP out this year since I assume he'll get PP time.

I never thought of him as fast for his size per say, more that for someone that skinny you would hope he would have that extra gear like Byron has. It's what's worried me about Reway, Hudon, Carr, Lehkonen, Evans. All are skilled abut skinny and or lacking strength but none posses that extra gear. We'll see how it works out for each though.

 

[Tyson]

Koivu was spot on

 

[Hannibal]

Congrats to him on making the team, thought he would spend another year in the SHL to try and bulk up a bit more but with his skill level, guess they felt he is better off here now. Can't wait to see what kind of season he has, since he's got a sick shot and is really good at tipping pucks in front of the net. Should help the PP out this year since I assume he'll get PP time.

I never thought of him as fast for his size per say, more that for someone that skinny you would hope he would have that extra gear like Byron has. It's what's worried me about Reway, Hudon, Carr, Lehkonen, Evans. All are skilled abut skinny and or lacking strength but none posses that extra gear. We'll see how it works out for each though.

He has the IQ. He does ´t need that "extra gear".

 

[Cole Caulifield]

Koivu was spot on

Indeed.

He's made the team for sure. Really mature player for his age and NHL experience.

I've been missing having a quality Finn on the team.

 

[mariolemieux66]

He seems really enthusiastic about playing hockey. Being on a line with Radulov will be good. Now if they can have Galchenyuk playing with them