Artturi Lehkonen Is Making It Impossible for the Avalanche to Wait on an Extension

Ryan O’Hara of The Hockey News argues that the Colorado Avalanche must quickly sign forward Artturi Lehkonen to a contract extension. Lehkonen has recorded six goals in his first eight games of the season, marking the best eight-game start of his NHL career. His strong performance comes in the final year of a five-year, $22.5 million contract he signed in July 2022.

Lehkonen scored twice in a 5-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, while goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 shots. O'Hara contends that Lehkonen's value beyond scoring—including his physical play and history of clutch playoff goals—means delaying negotiations could make his next deal significantly more expensive for Joe Sakic and the Avalanche front office.