Flash forward a little more than 15 months. The Avs have another valuable, veteran member of their core who needs a new contract for next season. What is Artturi Lehkonen worth<\/a> in a financial reality that has changed dramatically since Nelson signed?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not an expert, but I feel like you could always kind of throw a blanket out with a little range and you were going to be close. Now, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cI think he\u2019s an underrated player that is going to get a nice contract for sure. He deserves it. He works extremely hard. But it\u2019s definitely different than two or three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n The NHL\u2019s cap ceiling from 2019-24 increased only $81.5 million to $83.5 million. It has since skyrocketed, up to $104 million this season. It is projected to climb to $113.5 million next year.<\/p>\n That\u2019s more than a 26% increase in four seasons, with more jumps expected in the coming years. When Nathan MacKinnon signed in September 2022<\/a>, his $12.6 million cap hit was the highest in the NHL.<\/p>\n The new era of NHL contracts began with Kirill Kaprizov signing a $17 million-per-year deal in Sept. 2025, but it really exploded this summer. Eight players have signed deals worth $12 million-plus since July 1, the latest being Adam Fantilli, who signed a six-year deal worth $13.75 million annually with Columbus<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n Fantilli isn\u2019t close to as accomplished as MacKinnon was when he signed four years ago, but the percentage of the cap his contract consumes is also less.<\/p>\n The math has changed. It\u2019s changing at warp speed, and collectively, people around the league still aren\u2019t sure where it\u2019s headed or what constitutes a \u201cteam-friendly\u201d or \u201cplayer-friendly\u201d contract anymore.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy for the guys,\u201d Lehkonen said. \u201cThey\u2019re getting paid even younger and younger. Players nowadays have to be thankful for the players who probably aren\u2019t in the league anymore who have grown the game to the level it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Many of the \u201cwhoa\u201d contracts signed in the past few months have gone to younger, less-proven players. Ryan Leonard has 20 goals in 84 career NHL games, but is an exciting young forward, so the Washington Capitals gave him an eight-year, $84 million contract. The Pittsburgh Penguins gave eight years and $32 million to forward Ville Koivunen, who has seven points in 39 career NHL games.<\/p>\n Those contracts, which aim to recoup future savings from the rising cap, are unlikely to have much bearing on the Lehkonen negotiations. If Leonard is actually worth $10.5 million annually right now, then Lehkonen and many other established players would get even more.<\/p>\n One of the trickiest parts for Lehkonen and the Avalanche is the lack of similar contracts signed in the NHL\u2019s new world. Philadelphia signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet on July 3, which Anaheim matched to keep their 21-year-old franchise center at $18 million per year six days later.<\/p>\n Lehkonen is 31 years old. There have been only five forwards aged 30 or older to sign new deals since July 9. Two are the captains of the Stanley Cup finalists \u2014 Carolina\u2019s Jordan Staal and Vegas\u2019 Mark Stone. One is Patrick Kane, who at 37 is returning to Chicago.<\/p>\n The other two are players who might be similar to Lehkonen in value \u2014 Anthony Mantha is 31 and coming off a 33-goal season, while Chris Kreider is 35 and coming off a 22-goal, 50-point season. Mantha was a free agent July 1, but didn\u2019t sign until July 15, getting two years at $4.75 million annually from New Jersey. Kreider was essentially cut loose by Anaheim because of cap issues and didn\u2019t become a free agent until Sept. 10. He signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with Montreal two days later.<\/p>\n Lehkonen is a better all-around player than Mantha. He\u2019s younger than Kreider, and those were unique circumstances. So there really isn\u2019t a great comparable out there for Lehkonen in the new financial landscape.<\/p>\n San Jose\u2019s Mason Marchment is also 31 and signed on July 1 to a six-year, $6.75 million-per-year deal. At first blush, most Avs fans would say Lehkonen is a better player. Their production over the past three seasons is almost identical \u2014 Marchment has 63 goals, 145 points, while Lehkonen has 64 goals, 127 points.<\/p>\n That is in part because Marchment has played 27 more games, but availability is a factor in contract negotiations. Before the new landscape, a player like Lehkonen might get a longer deal to knock the average annual value down a little. Recent contracts suggest the teams aren\u2019t getting as much benefit from that.<\/p>\n Lehkonen could be a test subject that teams around the league monitor closely. Given this new commitment to playing young players very early, what will that mean for guys in the middle of their careers like Lehkonen?<\/p>\n![\"Artturi](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TDP-L-AVS-RED-WINGSAO1_6011x.jpg\")
Artturi Lehkonen (62) of the Colorado Avalanche reaches for the puck as Moritz Seider (53) of the Detroit Red Wings defends during the third period of the Red Wings\u2019 2-0 win at Ball Arena on Tuesday, February 2, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n