Artturi Lehkonen has opened the 2026-27 season with a burst, and that hot start is only turning up the heat on the Colorado Avalanche’s next big roster decision.
Lehkonen has three goals and one assist for four points to begin the year, a sharp reminder of why he has been such a valuable piece in Colorado. He is in the final season of the five-year, $22.5 million deal he signed in the summer of 2022, after helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup, and he remains eligible for an extension.
That deal never came this past offseason, even though the Avalanche locked up Cale Makar on an eight-year extension worth $163.2 million that runs through the 2034-35 season. Lehkonen was the notable omission, and that has only grown more puzzling given how important he has been since arriving in Colorado.
Since being traded to the team, Lehkonen has delivered in the biggest moments. He scored the overtime winner in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers to send the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Finals, then buried the game-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning to clinch the title.
Even with injuries interrupting his time in Colorado, he has still produced. In three of his four full seasons with the Avalanche, he has finished with more than 20 goals and more than 40 points.
What makes him so valuable is the way he plays. Lehkonen does not drift around looking for easy offense.
He gets to the net, hunts rebounds, fights for pucks along the boards, and keeps possessions alive with work that shows up all over the ice. He has also spent plenty of time in the top six, skating with Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and at times Gabriel Landeskog, Brock Nelson, and now Nazem Kadri.
He has also been part of the power play, which only adds to his value for a team still chasing another championship.
That is where the tension comes in. Lehkonen is 31 and could be in position to chase one more major contract if he stays healthy and keeps producing. The Avalanche, though, are expected to remain tight against the cap.
Even with the cap projected to rise to $113 million this offseason, Colorado is expected to have just over $12 million in space after moving off players such as Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin this past offseason. That is not a lot of room for a team with several important contract situations on the horizon.
The Avalanche will have Lehkonen, Nicolas Roy, Brent Burns, and Scott Wedgewood scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. Rookie T.J. Hughes will be a restricted free agent.
That creates a tricky path for Colorado. If Lehkonen keeps rolling and posts new career highs, the Avalanche could be forced into a tough choice: pay what he wants, try to bring him in at a lower number, or risk losing Nicolas Roy while still needing to handle Wedgewood, Hughes, and possibly Burns again if he does not retire.
The rising cap and the newest CBA are already changing the market, and players are looking to take advantage. Lehkonen and Roy could both be in that position if they have strong seasons.
Colorado is not in a place where it can simply shed talent for cap relief. This is a team built to win now. If Lehkonen keeps trending upward, the Avalanche may have to make their move before the offseason forces the issue.
In Other News...
Matt Duchene Suffers Another Setback At Brutal Time For Dallas
Matt Duchenes latest setback lands at a rough time for Dallas and brings another layer of uncertainty to the early part of the season. The former Avalanche first-round pick has been placed on long-term injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in training camp, forcing the Stars to start the year without one of their most proven forwards.
Duchene, who spent nine seasons in Colorado before becoming a key piece in Dallas, led the Stars in scoring last season and was expected to remain a central part of their offense. Instead, he will miss at least 10 games and cannot return before Oct. 25, leaving Dallas to adjust its lineup while waiting on a player whose absence changes the look of the top end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Top Line Is Creating A Problem Opponents Havent Solved
The Avalanche have barely gotten through the first week of the season, and already their top line looks like the sort of matchup problem opponents spend all night trying to solve. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen have each found ways to drive the attack, with MacKinnon setting the tone as a distributor and the other two finishing plenty of the chances that have followed.
It showed up most clearly in the 6-1 win over the Blues, when MacKinnon piled up three assists and Necas scored twice on his way to 50 goals with Colorado. Lehkonen has done his part too, chipping in with goals and assists, which gives the line a balanced look that is hard to key on for a full shift, let alone a full game. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fast Start Puts Early Lineup Crunch In Focus
A 2-0 start has the Avalanche feeling good about the way the season has opened, but it is also setting up an early test for roster management as reinforcements get closer. Logan OConnor was on the ice in a full-contact jersey in practice, a sign his return is drawing near, and Zachary LHeureux is also trending toward a comeback after being sidelined.
The timing matters because Colorado has a busy stretch ahead, with games coming against the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. Getting both forwards back would give the Avalanche more depth and flexibility at a moment when the lineup is starting to tighten, leaving coach and staff to sort out how quickly they can fold the newcomers back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]