Confirmed with Link: Artturi Lehkonen (1 Year @ $2.3M)

[ryan callahan]

...I personally really like Lehky and would have had no issue offering him 4 years @ anywhere between $2.5 mill to $3 mill AAV...the guy is our best forechecker and never takes a shift off...great Bottom 6er...

You realize Lehky probably wanted way more than that for a long term deal right?

 

[BaseballCoach]

...I personally really like Lehky and would have had no issue offering him 4 years @ anywhere between $2.5 mill to $3 mill AAV...the guy is our best forechecker and never takes a shift off...great Bottom 6er...

OK, I agree with you, I would have done that, but what if Lehky wanted more for 2 UFA years? Then would it make sense for Bergy to say to the player "let's talk again after this coming year"?

Are you really worried he has a breakout year and his cost will go up a lot? I'm not. Bergy has shown he will pay fair money to that type of player.

Armia is not a fair comparable yet, because Armia was UFA and could get 31 other offers. Lehkonen is still RFA next summer.

 

[sheed36]

As I've said countless times on this board Lehkonen is such an underappreciated player by far too many in the Habs fanbase because he doesn't put up enough points to please them while ignoring everything else he brings to the lineup.

 

[Archijerej]

One year is surprising. Seems like they couldn't agree neither on a long-term contract, nor a 2-year contract that would have taken him to UFA. My guess is Lehkonen has bet on himself, as he's entering what should be his best years age-wise.

A $100k raise from the qualifying offer is likely to avoid arbitration. Could he have gotten more if he went that route?

 

[V13]

1 year may mean that he's either gonna be included in a package for a C or a left PMD soon or that he is gonna be traded at the deadline for a pick and/or prospect depending on where the Habs stands by then

Then again i may be completely wrong on this

 

[HuGo Sham]

Worth noting, the cap hit for this deal will actually be lower than the one he had last year which was $2.4 million. The fact they slightly front-loaded his contract allowed for a lower qualifying offer of $2.2 million so Montreal saves a bit of money on this deal relative to a year ago. However, the trade-off is that it allows Lehkonen to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

not an ideal situation. why one year? would hate to lose this guy, especially for nothing. Hate when bergevin doesn't maximize assets.

 

[BaseballCoach]

He will get traded at the deadline for sure

Why would you trade a guy with another RFA year at the deadline? Chiarot maybe. Even Kulak, Paquette, Perreault and Wideman would be on my list ahead of Lehkonen or Evans who both have another year under team control.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Worth noting, the cap hit for this deal will actually be lower than the one he had last year which was $2.4 million. The fact they slightly front-loaded his contract allowed for a lower qualifying offer of $2.2 million so Montreal saves a bit of money on this deal relative to a year ago. However, the trade-off is that it allows Lehkonen to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

not an ideal situation. why one year? would hate to lose this guy, especially for nothing. Hate when bergevin doesn't maximize assets.

Sounds smart, but actually...........

The lower QO came not from front-loading but from the signing bonus in the second year, which does not need to be replicated in a QO.

And Arturri is still RFA after this season. Getting less than last year does not accelerate his UFA date!

 

[Archijerej]

Worth noting, the cap hit for this deal will actually be lower than the one he had last year which was $2.4 million. The fact they slightly front-loaded his contract allowed for a lower qualifying offer of $2.2 million so Montreal saves a bit of money on this deal relative to a year ago. However, the trade-off is that it allows Lehkonen to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

not an ideal situation. why one year? would hate to lose this guy, especially for nothing. Hate when bergevin doesn't maximize assets.

This is incorrect. He's still a RFA after next season.

 

[japhi]

...I personally really like Lehky and would have had no issue offering him 4 years @ anywhere between $2.5 mill to $3 mill AAV...the guy is our best forechecker and never takes a shift off...great Bottom 6er...

Well good news then, they can still offer him term at the end of this deal because the team regains control. 2.4 + team control for the guy you describe seems like a pretty awesome set up for the team.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

I expected something closer to Armia, which would explain why he only signed for one year at 2.3M...

 

[BaseballCoach]

This is incorrect. He's still a RFA after next season.

This was a subtle spinoff from the fact that we brought Lehky over AFTER his 20 yo season in Sweden. Due to his August birthday, we still got 7 years out of him prior to UFA. I mentioned it at the time of his arrival.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Well good news then, they can still offer him term at the end of this deal because the team regains control. 2.4 + team control for the guy you describe seems like a pretty awesome set up for the team.

2.3

 

[japhi]

Worth noting, the cap hit for this deal will actually be lower than the one he had last year which was $2.4 million. The fact they slightly front-loaded his contract allowed for a lower qualifying offer of $2.2 million so Montreal saves a bit of money on this deal relative to a year ago. However, the trade-off is that it allows Lehkonen to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

not an ideal situation. why one year? would hate to lose this guy, especially for nothing. Hate when bergevin doesn't maximize assets.

This is actually a great example of maximizing an asset.

 

[japhi]

2.3

even better!

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Well good news then, they can still offer him term at the end of this deal because the team regains control. 2.4 + team control for the guy you describe seems like a pretty awesome set up for the team.

They can extend him in January I believe

 

[BaseballCoach]

This is actually a great example of maximizing an asset.

I agree, His reasoning was a "sham". You go, boy!

 

[Tyson]

Good bottom 6 player. Longer term would have been nice. Lehkonen never takes a night off...fierce competitor

 

[montreal]

I know I saw somewhere perhaps twitter that they were saying the rumors were that MB has been getting calls on Leks. I recall in the past it was said by MB or rumors that Leks was getting the most interest or at least a lot of interest. So clearly teams value his play, i've always been a fan since he came over and still think he can be more if he ever finds a way to be more consistent and get his confidence going.

I remember back when Byron was picked off waivers and Flames fans said he couldn't score on a breakaway to save his life or something to that effect. He was 26 and had 17 goals in 138 NHL games (sabers/flames) since then he's got 77 goals in 356 games. So he went from a .12 goals per game to a .22 goals per game with us. Leks for his career has scored at a .18 goals per game, maybe he can find his way to get closer to a .25 or so

 

[Rockomax]

Was hoping for 3+ years. Glad he's back though.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Maybe Lehkonen is the one who agreed to 100K$ less than his QO, and only 1 year to see if he'll get benched as much by Ducharme yet again. He doesn't score a lot but he gives everything on the ice, nobody can argue that.

 

[Le Tricolore]

He will get traded at the deadline for sure

If the Habs are as bad as many people think they will be, you're absolutely right. Will probably get a 2nd for him, I'd think.

Would suck losing him, but if we're sellers, he's an asset.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

As I've said countless times on this board Lehkonen is such an underappreciated player by far too many in the Habs fanbase because he doesn't put up enough points to please them while ignoring everything else he brings to the lineup.

He’s one of my favourite Habs.

 

[tazsub3]

...cuz I believe it's a mistake, whether it Lehky who wanted it or Bargain makes little difference...I would have tried hard to sign him for longer...pity not all of us are as Omnipotent & Above Reproach as you...

Seems you used to one sided negotiations.
Let me guess union or construction ?

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Would rather have given 4 years to Lekhonen and 1 to Armia in my opinion

One if a free agent the other is UFA. Complete different ball game.