A second-round pick who silenced doubters with a Stanley Cup-winning goal — Artturi Lehkonen’s rise is one of the NHL’s best underdog stories.
The Finnish left winger now commands a $4.5M annual cap hit with the Colorado Avalanche and is putting together the best scoring season of his career in 2025-26.
This article breaks down his estimated net worth, full contract details, salary history, and everything driving his financial profile in 2026.
Artturi Lehkonen’s Biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Artturi Aleksanteri Lehkonen |
| Date of Birth | July 4, 1995 |
| Age | 30 |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Height / Weight | 5’11” (180 cm) / 178 lbs (81 kg) |
| Position | Left Wing |
| Current NHL Team | Colorado Avalanche |
| NHL Draft | 2013, Round 2, 55th Overall (Montreal Canadiens) |
| Years Active | 2011–Present |
| Estimated Net Worth | ~$9 million |
| Current Annual Salary | $4,000,000 (base) / $4,500,000 cap hit |
| Estimated Career Earnings | ~$28.3 million (through 2025-26) |
| Relationship Status | In a relationship with Emmi Peltonen |
| @artturilehkonen |
Early Life and Hockey Journey
Artturi Lehkonen was born on July 4, 1995, in Piikkiö, a small municipality in southwestern Finland, though he grew up in the nearby city of Turku.
Hockey ran in his blood from the very beginning — his father, Ismo Lehkonen, is a former professional player who went on to coach, and his uncle Timo Lehkonen also played the game professionally.
Growing up in Turku’s hockey culture, Artturi trained with local clubs TuTo and TPS as a youngster. He logged his first minutes in Finland’s top-flight Liiga with TPS during the 2011-12 season, showing early promise as a reliable two-way forward with an instinct for big-game moments.
After a strong season with KalPa in Finland’s Liiga in 2012-13, he caught the eye of NHL scouts and was selected 55th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Rather than rushing to North America, Lehkonen made a smart career move: he signed a two-year contract with Frölunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League in March 2014 to sharpen his skills against elite European competition. That decision paid immediate dividends.
In his second SHL season, 2015-16, Lehkonen exploded onto the scene with 16 goals and 17 assists in 49 regular-season games.
His playoff performance was even more stunning — he posted 19 points in 16 playoff games, breaking a team record previously held by Daniel Alfredsson.
Frölunda won both the SHL Championship and the 2015-16 Champions Hockey League that season, cementing Lehkonen’s reputation as a clutch performer long before he set foot in the NHL.
He also won a gold medal with Finland at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, adding international pedigree to his growing résumé.
Career
Lehkonen signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens on May 8, 2016, and made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season.
His rookie campaign was impressive — 18 goals and 10 assists in 73 games — helping Montreal win the Atlantic Division with 103 points that year.
He quickly established himself as the kind of defensively responsible forward that coaches love to trust in high-leverage situations.
His career-high in points during his Montreal years came in 2018-19, when he registered 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points. He re-signed with Montreal on a two-year, $4.8M contract in July 2019, followed by a one-year, $2.3M extension in July 2021.
During the 2021 playoffs, Lehkonen scored a dramatic overtime goal to send the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Finals — a moment that announced him to a much wider audience.
The defining moment of his career came after a March 2022 trade deadline deal sent him to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick.
He scored six goals in 16 regular-season games with Colorado and then delivered in the playoffs where it mattered most.
Lehkonen scored the overtime goal to send the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Finals, and then scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 6 — becoming a legend in Denver overnight.
With Colorado, Lehkonen has evolved from a defensive specialist into a genuine offensive contributor. His 2022-23 season produced a career-high 51 points in just 64 games.
After missing 35 games in 2023-24 due to a neck injury, he roared back with a career-best 27 goals in 2024-25, earning the team’s top plus-minus rating at +36.
In 2025-26, skating alongside NHL scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon, Lehkonen is on pace to surpass 60 points for the first time — a career-best campaign at age 30. He was also part of Finland’s dominant 2026 Winter Olympics squad.
Wife
Artturi Lehkonen is in a relationship with Emmi Peltonen, a Finnish figure skater who represented Finland internationally throughout her career.
Peltonen is a three-time Finnish national champion and competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where she finished 20th in the ladies’ singles event.
In April 2025, Peltonen announced her retirement from competitive figure skating through an emotional Instagram post, citing the physical demands of elite training.
Lehkonen keeps his personal life largely private, and the couple have not publicly confirmed any children.
Artturi Lehkonen’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Artturi Lehkonen has an estimated net worth of approximately $9 million.
His wealth comes primarily from a decade of NHL salaries totaling roughly $28.3 million through the 2025-26 season, with additional income from endorsements and brand partnerships.
Contract
Lehkonen signed a 5-year, $22,500,000 contract with the Colorado Avalanche, fully guaranteed, with an average annual salary of $4,500,000.
The deal began in the 2022-23 season and runs through the 2026-27 campaign. His contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, at which point he becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent.
It is worth noting that 50% of the contract was retained by the Montreal Canadiens as part of the original trade structure. You can verify the full breakdown at Spotrac and PuckPedia.
Salary
In 2025-26, Lehkonen earns a base salary of $4,000,000 while carrying a cap hit of $4,500,000.
His highest base salary seasons were 2022-23 and 2023-24, when he earned $5,000,000 each year under the front-loaded structure of his current deal.
His cap hit of $4,500,000 ranks him as a solidly mid-tier contributor among NHL forwards — an honest reflection of his role as a key secondary scorer and defensive stalwart on one of the league’s better rosters.
For a full salary comparison with other Avalanche players, NHL.com’s player page offers updated figures.
Career Earnings By Year
| Season | Team | Base Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Montreal Canadiens | $875,000 |
| 2017-18 | Montreal Canadiens | $925,000 |
| 2018-19 | Montreal Canadiens | $925,000 |
| 2019-20 | Montreal Canadiens | $2,400,000 |
| 2020-21 | Montreal Canadiens | $2,400,000 |
| 2021-22 | MTL / Colorado Avalanche | $2,300,000 |
| 2022-23 | Colorado Avalanche | $5,000,000 |
| 2023-24 | Colorado Avalanche | $5,000,000 |
| 2024-25 | Colorado Avalanche | $4,500,000 |
| 2025-26 | Colorado Avalanche | $4,000,000 |
| Total (through 2025-26) | ~$28,325,000 |
Career Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Montreal Canadiens | 73 | 18 | 10 | 28 | +4 |
| 2017-18 | Montreal Canadiens | 66 | 12 | 9 | 21 | -7 |
| 2018-19 | Montreal Canadiens | 71 | 11 | 20 | 31 | -9 |
| 2019-20 | Montreal Canadiens | 57 | 11 | 8 | 19 | -8 |
| 2020-21 | Montreal Canadiens | 56 | 12 | 9 | 21 | +6 |
| 2021-22 | MTL / Colorado Avalanche | 71 | 19 | 19 | 38 | +24 |
| 2022-23 | Colorado Avalanche | 64 | 21 | 30 | 51 | +20 |
| 2023-24 | Colorado Avalanche | 45 | 16 | 18 | 34 | +10 |
| 2024-25 | Colorado Avalanche | 69 | 27 | 18 | 45 | +36 |
| 2025-26 | Colorado Avalanche | 53+ | 19+ | 23+ | 42+ | — |
FAQs
What is Artturi Lehkonen’s net worth?
Artturi Lehkonen’s estimated net worth is approximately $9 million. He built this through roughly $28.3 million in NHL career earnings across Montreal and Colorado, supplemented by modest endorsement income.
How much does Artturi Lehkonen earn per season?
In 2025-26, Lehkonen earns a base salary of $4 million with a $4.5 million cap hit. His highest-paid seasons were 2022-23 and 2023-24, when he earned $5 million per year under his current Colorado Avalanche contract.
Did Artturi Lehkonen win the Stanley Cup?
Yes, Lehkonen won the Stanley Cup in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. He scored both the overtime goal to send Colorado to the Finals and the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
What is Artturi Lehkonen’s current contract with the Colorado Avalanche?
He is signed to a 5-year, $22.5M fully guaranteed contract with an AAV of $4.5M. The deal runs through the 2026-27 season, after which he becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent.
What is Artturi Lehkonen’s career best season?
His highest-point season was 2022-23 with 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 64 games. His career-high in goals is 27, set in 2024-25. His 2025-26 campaign is on pace to be his best overall scoring season.
