That being said, Gallagher is certainly a fan of what Lehkonen brings to the table, especially his feistiness and willingness to go toe-to-toe with opponents far bigger than him all over the ice. It's a part of the game the Canadiens' No. 11 has taken pride in and perfected since making his NHL debut in 2012-13.
"He got in there and played hard. As a smaller guy, that's what you have to do. He's a fun player to watch and I like playing with him. It's just one of those things, as camp has gone on, we started off rough the first day, but we've been getting better every day here. He's a big part of that," praised Gallagher, before lauding Lehkonen's hockey IQ, too. "He's a smart hockey player and he picks up on things pretty quickly. He's a good kid. Hockey sense is something you can't really teach."
Head coach Michel Therrien has also been impressed with Lehkonen's effort through the first part of training camp, acknowledging that the former second-round selection has all of the makings of an NHL player already.
"We can all see that he has the rhythm to play at this level. That's what he showed us during practices and again in the game [against New Jersey]," shared Therrien, who had Lehkonen on the ice in multiple game situations, whether at even-strength, on the power play, or while the Canadiens were down a man. "He's very involved in a lot of the aspects of the game. I really liked his performance."