The Montreal Canadiens have traded forward Artturi Lehkonen to the Colorado Avalanche for Justin Barron and a second-round pick in 2024.
We have acquired Artturi Lehkonen from the Montreal Canadiens!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BcUIYWtvex
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 21, 2022
Kevin Weekes was the first to report the trade, and has been confirmed by several reports.
Justin Barron is a 6’2”, 190lb right-shot defenceman and was Colorado’s first-round pick (25th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old has five goals and 15 assists in 43 games with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He played two NHL games with the Avalanche this season and did not get a point.
Lehkonen, 26, has 13 goals and 16 assists in 58 games this season and is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has said that he would only trade players if he got what he wanted, and with Brett Kulak and Lehkonen now traded you can imagine he received what he wanted. Reports have said that Hughes previously wanted a first-round pick for Lehkonen, and in Barron he has a player who was selected in the first round.
UPDATE: The Canadiens will retain 50% of Lehkonen’s cap hit.
MON retains 50 per cent on Lehkonen in COL deal
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 21, 2022
