Storyline To Watch: Will Artturi Lehkonen Sign Before Season Begins?

Often the forgotten pending unrestricted free agent on the Colorado Avalanche, Artturi Lehkonen — like Cale Makar — has been eligible to sign a contract extension since July 1.

When general manager Joe Sakic was asked about Lehkonen’s situation back in June, he said getting a deal done with the veteran forward was a priority for the Avalanche and something the team hoped to accomplish this summer.

Basically, it’s no different than Makar’s pending extension. 

“We’re going to talk to their agent in the summer. That focus is going to take place in the summer,” Sakic said. “All the extensions — once we get to mid-July, that’s when those talks start beginning. We’re definitely going to be looking to hopefully come to an agreement with Artturi as well. He’s such a big, important player for our team.”

If that remains the plan, the Avalanche and Lehkonen’s camp have now been in discussions for several weeks. But unlike Makar, there may not be much urgency to get a Lehkonen extension done immediately.

Ultimately, Colorado has time to negotiate and should use that time to make sure it lands on the right contract. Especially for a complementary player rather than a core superstar piece.

With Makar, the situation is likely different. We’ve speculated for weeks that it likely makes sense for the superstar defenseman to sign a maximum-term eight-year extension, and that option disappears on Sept. 16 under the NHL’s new CBA rules. If Makar and the Avalanche want to maximize the term, there is a clear deadline looming.

But does the same logic apply to Lehkonen? Will he get eight years?

The Avalanche have to determine whether Lehkonen is someone they want to commit to for eight years. If so, the longer term could help bring down the annual average value, something we often see from contenders when they’re trying to extend their Stanley Cup window (see Marian Gaborik with the Los Angeles Kings). If not, Colorado could opt for a shorter-term deal with a higher AAV, preserving more flexibility down the road.

Whether or not the term lands on eight years, I’d still imagine a longer term makes more sense for AAV purposes. Even if Lehkonen, at 31 years old, is likely to see a decline in his play and effectiveness during the contract.

From Lehkonen’s perspective, though, an eight-year deal could be extremely appealing. At this stage of his career, securing maximum term could provide valuable financial security, even if it means accepting a lower AAV than he might receive on a shorter contract. It would also attach him to the remaining years of Cup contention for this core group led by Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog, Martin Necas, Devon Toews, and Makar.

So, will Lehkonen sign before training camp begins?

If both sides want to pursue an eight-year deal, they certainly have reason to get something done before Sept. 16 — the day before camp starts. If they aren’t interested in that much term, however, there may be far less urgency, and the Avalanche could afford to let negotiations continue into the season. Don’t forget, Toews didn’t sign his extension until October.

For now, Lehkonen remains one of Colorado’s most important pending contract situations to watch as the offseason progresses.

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