Lehkonen is a mature, two-way winger who grew in the much-respected TPS Turku system. He was a star for them throughout his teenage years, dominating at every age group. His hockey sense is his finest asset, although his passion and work-ethic aren’t far behind. He has a very Pavel Datsyuk-like way of processing the game, always on the right side of the puck and has almost mastered the art of the pick-pocket. He is a solid skater, not a burner, but he finds his way around the ice smoothly enough. His agility is better than his speed without a doubt. The 5'11", 165 pounder is a natural goal scorer, who often finds himself in prime scoring position around the net and uses his instincts to bury the biscuit.

Canadiens management has reaped the benefits of hitting the nail on the head with both those selections in more ways than most people imagine. The ripple effect goes a long way from just internal competition leading to better development. Former Frolunda sniper and Canadiens second-round selection Sebastien Collberg was deemed expandable due to the development of Lehkonen when he was used to acquire rental Thomas Vanek at the 2014 trade deadline, giving the Canadiens their most naturally skilled forward since Alex Kovalev. Vanek’s superior playmaking sparked an all-new level of play from Max Pacioretty, and the entire league knows he has not looked back since.

The Habs defeated the Bruins in an epic first-round seven game series in which PK Subban and Carey Price took over, and lit the city of Montreal on fire. The infamous Chris Kreider–Carey Price incident eventually led to the demise of the Blue, Blanc et Rouge in the conference-finals, but the Habs have kept that pace this season leading the Eastern Conference for much of it. It has inspired a whole new level of expectations in Montreal this season and anything less than Stanley Cup could be considered a disappointment.

Jacob De La Rose, on the other hand, has directly impacted that success, skating in 32 games for the Canadiens in a checking role, scoring three goals and two assists including his first career two-goal game on February 26 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Both these players captained their respective teams at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championships. Lehkonen wore the “C” for a young, unexperienced Finnish team, while De La Rose carried the load for Sweden as one of the rare participants with AHL experience.

Michael McCarron‘s development reminds me a lot of another super-sized Canadiens first-round pick, Jarred Tinordi. Both were committed to the NCAA before opting to pursue their careers under the tutelage of the Hunter brothers in London.

Much like Tinordi, McCarron was labelled a bust early in his OHL career, struggling to adjust to the speed and style of the major junior game in their first seasons. While McCarron scored just 14 goals in 66 games (20 assists), he did develop a physical game, compiling penalty minutes. Both responded with monster sophomore seasons though. Tinordi became the league’s premier defensive defenseman and probably the most feared by forwards crossing the blueline, while a shift to center near the end of 2013-14 changed things for McCarron.

He started 2014-15 at center for the Knights, playing alongside Max Domi for most of his 25 games, en route to an extremely impressive 41 points (22 goals, 58 PIM, +8). Later, he was traded to an even better team, the Oshawa Generals (51-11-2-4) where unfortunately he could not continue that torrid pace. He has only six goals in 31 games, but does has 21 assists, 70 PIMs and is a +17. Obviously this has been attributed to the fact he is no longer playing alongside offensive wizards Domi and Mitch Marner and in a tighter system.

In my opinion he is the closest Milan Lucic type to be drafted since, well, the big bad Bruin himself. The combination of his 6'6", 237 pound frame, skating, and hands in tight make him a valuable long-term asset for a team especially known for their lack of toughness. While Domi and Marner may have put the puck on his stick, Big Mac still had to get to the position and beat the goaltender. He is known for his dominating front-of-the-net presence and willingness to mix it up.

He has the potential to make an instant impact professionally due to his size and willingness to throw his weight (and knuckles) around, but the Canadiens may not want to risk stalling his development as a scorer and allow him to fill nets in the AHL first.

Expect Lehkonen to come to North America after his contract expires at the end of 2015-16 season and compete for a spot amongst the Canadiens' top twelve. He may need some time to develop offensively in the American Hockey League, though he shouldn’t last long down there due to his experience competing against men.

Fantasy Potential

Lehkonen: 30 goal, 30 assists in his prime, 20/20 more likely.

McCarron: 25 goal, 25 assist in prime. 12 goals, 10 assists, 130 PIM early.

Hat-Trick 2015 SHL Playoffs Round 2

http://prospects.dobbersports.com/montreal-canadiens-top-prospects/artturi-lehkonen

http://prospects.dobbersports.com/Montreal-Canadiens-Top-Prospects/michael-mccarron

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