DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche continue to re-sign their own players after a successful Stanley Cup run in 2022. This time, it's the guy who scored the championship-clinching goal.
Artturi Lehkonen will return to Denver on a five-year deal, the team announced Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Finnish forward was drafted by the Montreal Canadians in the second round of the 2013 draft.
The Avalanche acquired Lehkonen at the trade deadline, sending defenseman Justin Barron and a second-round pick in the 2024 draft in return.
Lehkonen made an instant contribution to his new team, recording nine points in 16 regular season games after the trade. He recorded 38 points in total, including 19 goals, in the regular season between both teams. Both were career highs.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he recorded 14 points in 20 games including the series-clinching goals in both the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers and Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"Artturi was a great fit to our team last season and obviously played an essential role in our championship run," said Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland. "He is incredibly versatile, can play anywhere up and down the lineup. He has a non-stop motor and never takes a shift off. He's really smart, highly competitive, knows his role no matter what is asked of him. Getting length and term for a player of his quality was a top offseason priority and we're thrilled to have him for the next five years.
Financial terms of the deal were not immediately released.
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