Artturi Lehkonen Scoring at an Impressive Rate

To date, Artturi Lehkonen has 7 goals and 2 assists for 9 points in 28 games in his rookie season in the National Hockey League. At the surface, these numbers do not look too desirable but with some context there is much reason to be excited for the young Finland-born prospect.

Let us get one thing out of the way first… 2 assists in 28 games? Yeah that might make some fans’ hearts skip a beat. But one has to understand what kind of player Lehkonen is to fully understand what he brings to the table. If Lehkonen doesn’t miss another game this season, he will play 73 games this season. Statistically speaking, he is on pace for only 5 assists this season if this pace keeps the same. That is slightly concerning as 15 members of the Montreal Canadiens already have 5 or more assists to their name this season.

It is difficult to believe that this rate of assists will hold steady over his career, because there is a playmaking ability to his game even if it is not the greatest part of his game. Below is a look at his statistic totals from the age of 14 up until this past season before making the move to the NHL.

The assists are obviously there. Whether it be in Finnish Junior C, B or A hockey or professional hockey in Finland and Sweden, the goals and assists both come for him. Each year he moved up a level, making his professional hockey debut at the age of 17 and heading to a more competitive league in Sweden at 19. At the age of 20, Lehkonen broke Daniel Alfredsson’s Frolunda record for most points in the playoffs as he recorded 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points in 16 games.

Of course, none of these leagues or levels of hockey even touch the competitive level provided by the NHL. Having said that though, this is Lehkonen’s first season in North America and he is 21-years old. That’s not to excuse the lack of assists but it’s just to say that don’t be alarmed yet.

NOW…. that he have gotten that out of the way. The thing that have Habs fans drooling about Artturi Lehkonen is his natural gift to score goals and his effort-fueled ability to use his size to his advantage. According to his NHL.com player profile page, Lehkonen is 6’0″ and 182lbs. That’s not bad, but he was highly praised in Sweden when he was listed at 5’11” for battling in the corners and staying highly competitive.

Artturi Lehkonen

Age: 21

Position: Left Wing

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 182

Drafted: 2nd Round (55th Overall) – 2013 Draft / Montreal Canadiens

2016-17 Statistics: 7 Goals + 2 Assists = 9 Points in 28 Games

With 7 goals in 28 games, Lehkonen is statistically on pace to score 18 goals in 73 games played. The number 73 is assuming that Lehkonen stays healthy and plays for the remainder of the season. He missed several games in November due to injury.

So 18 goals, what does this mean? Of course, Lehkonen was not expected to come into the league and make an immediate elite impact like other rookies eyeing the Calder trophy such as Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews. Having said that, Lehkonen is more of a longer term development that is panning out so far.

Of course it’s not a guarantee that Lehkonen will score 18 goals. He could score more and he could score less. This is just based on the fact that he is scoring 0.25 times per game – or once every 4 games. At the moment, Lehkonen sits 7th on the Canadiens in points and in the top 150 in the league in goals. Players around Lehkonen in terms of goals include Taylor Hall, David Krejci, Victor Hedman, Mats Zuccarello, Paul Stastny, Jordan Eberle, Alexander Radulov and more.

What does this mean for Lehkonen? It’s still far too early to say. But we like Lehkonen and we like to think this is the beginning of a long career. Let’s compare Lehkonen and where he stands in his career to some of his notable teammates.

It is incredibly important to keep in mind that this chart is almost as basic as you can get. It does not take into account how good the team was at the given time, linemates, quality of opponents, and other factors. But for now, this chart works.

Artturi Lehkonen is in an interesting position because at this pace, he’s faster to reach his projected number for the season of 18 goals than Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec and David Desharnais. But not as fast as fellow Habs Brendan Gallagher and Andrew Shaw. It is far too early to definitively say if Lehkonen will be a 10…20… or even 30 goal scorer.

The number is interesting though. With great natural goal scoring instincts, Lehkonen could surely contribute to the need for goals in Montreal. Something that hasn’t come as often as one would hope over the last few seasons.

For those who followed Lehkonen’s journey in Europe after being drafted by the Habs, it is not a huge surprise that he made the 2016-17 team out of training camp and is making an impact. However, it is still difficult not to be excited at what Artturi Lehkonen can grow in to.

Artturi Lehkonen and the Montreal Canadiens next play on Tuesday in Tennessee against the Nashville Predators.