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Thread: Mikko Lehtonen

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    Default Mikko Lehtonen

    Mikko Lehtonen and KHL team Jokerit have agreed to terminate his contract so that he can jump to the NHL. Lehtonen had a year left on his contract but there was a ton of NHL interest and Lehtonen wanted to cross the pond, so Jokerit decided not to stand in his way. Most KHL teams wouldn't have done that but Jokerit is a Finnish team with Jari Kurri as their GM - they're not like most KHL teams.

    Lehtonen is now the best European free agent available this summer - including the ones who have signed already. He's NHL ready.

    Here's his profile at DobberProspects: https://dobberprospects.com/player/mikko-lehtonen/

    (Spoiler alert: He got 48-point upside and 85% NHL certainty.)

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Every team should be reaching out to him but Sportsnet's Luke Fox has said the Kings, Devils, and Canadiens are in the mix.

    Quick Shifts: Intriguing, NHL-ready free agent leaves KHL early

    Of all the European import signings who have been trickling into the NHL over the past month, Mikko Lehtonen could make the greatest immediate impact.

    Let the bidding begin.
    Lehtonen and Jokerit mutually agreed to terminate the defenceman’s contract one season early Friday, leaving the 26-year-old free to sign in North America and chase a Stanley Cup as soon as the 2020–21 season.
    Never drafted, Lehtonen hails from the cultural centre of Turku, the oldest city in Finland and the same one that blessed the NHL with Miikka Kiprusoff, the Koivu brothers, Rasmus Ristolainen and Kaapo Kakko.
    Lehtonen is a left-shot offensive defenceman who can quarterback a power play and wields a seeing-eye wrister from the point. He won gold medals with his country at the 2014 world juniors and 2019 world championships. He also repped for Finland at the 2018 Olympic Games. He has bounced around Europe’s top circuits, starring in the Finnish and Swedish Elite leagues before dominating in his first season in the KHL.

    In 2019–20, he scored 17 goals and 32 assists in 52 games for Jokerit, making him the top point-getter among all KHL defenders and the sixth-highest scorer overall. The all-star’s four points in six games led Jokerit to a Round 1 playoff series victory over Lokomotiv. Then the KHL cancelled its season.

    In a statement, Jokerit GM Jari Kurri thanked Lehtonen and wished him luck in the NHL, “where he has every chance to become an important player on his team.”

    Side note: This week the KHL’s board of directors implemented a flat salary cap of 900 million rubles (US$11.9 million) for 2020–21, when they’d considered increasing the cap to 1.3 billion rubles (US$17.2 million).

    The Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens — long in the market for a play-driving, left-shot defenceman — are but three teams said to have interest in the NHL-ready import whose stock and confidence have soared since that world championships gold last May.

    “It all started with the world championship,” Lehtonen told the KHL website. “Then, after a good summer, I arrived in a good team. It’s easier when you have fantastic teammates, and they make you a better player.”

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Wow wow wow. Hopefully he gets to pad his stats for a season with the Leafs before becoming UFA and getting paid elsewhere.

    Toronto Maple Leafs✔@MapleLeafs

    Welcome to Leafs Nation, Mikko!

    The Maple Leafs have signed defenceman Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year entry level contract. #LeafsForever

    Details: https://tml.hockey/3b85JMY

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    It's a good choice for him if he's looking for immediate opportunity and spotlight. He could be worth a lot next summer.


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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Wow. Great signing by the Leafs.

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Sweet. Looks like he'll be pretty useful for my team next season.
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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    I don't know much about him, but to be fair he can't be much worse than what they were running out there most of this past season if he's that highly regarded coming out of the KHL. Just because he was good in the KHL doesn't always equate to success in the NHL as we've seen many times already but he should get a good look in Toronto.
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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Going from one league to another is always going to be difficult for a player, and a large hurdle for guys going from the KHL to the NHL is conditioning and strength. The extra games in the NHL, smaller ice, and more physical game can wear down a guy quick.

    Any contract at 925k can't be complained about though.
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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    I'm going to need to take the wait and see approach.

    I mean - Who was the last D-man in their mid-20's to come to the NHL and make a significant top-4 impact?

    Zaitsev?
    Rafalski?

    Is it just me or is it more difficult for European/KHL Dmen to make the transition to the NHL than forwards?
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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Quote Originally Posted by lucafen4 View Post
    I'm going to need to take the wait and see approach.

    I mean - Who was the last D-man in their mid-20's to come to the NHL and make a significant top-4 impact?

    Zaitsev?
    Rafalski?

    Is it just me or is it more difficult for European/KHL Dmen to make the transition to the NHL than forwards?
    More difficult for defensemen and centers compared to wingers, absolutely. Wingers are the ones with the easiest transition from the European style to the NHL style.

    But I have no doubts about Lehtonen's ability to transition to the NHL. Guys like Joel Persson and Oliwer Kaski were always going to be very risky, boom or bust type guys. Lehtonen isn't from that same mold. He can be a reliable player at even strength. His all-around game has improved a ton over the past couple of years, to a level where he is ready to make the jump straight to the NHL without any time in the AHL.

    I know most people will doubt him because of his age and because of bad experiences in the past. I get that. But you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who has watched him regularly saying anything bad about his game or saying his game wouldn't translate to the NHL. From coaches to other players to journalists, everyone is convinced he'll be a great success story. That's a rare thing to happen

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Quote Originally Posted by lucafen4 View Post
    I'm going to need to take the wait and see approach.

    I mean - Who was the last D-man in their mid-20's to come to the NHL and make a significant top-4 impact?

    Zaitsev?
    Rafalski?

    Is it just me or is it more difficult for European/KHL Dmen to make the transition to the NHL than forwards?
    Mark Streit was around Lehtonen's age when he came to the NHL. Over 400 points in nearly 800 games is a high bar to reach though.

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Regardless of how Lehtonen looked in the KHL last season, I would temper my expectations for him. He's at best the #3 and more likely the 5th best left shot dman in Toronto next season. That does not lead itself to being a productive fantasy asset regardless of talent.

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Quote Originally Posted by chuckcouples View Post
    Regardless of how Lehtonen looked in the KHL last season, I would temper my expectations for him. He's at best the #3 and more likely the 5th best left shot dman in Toronto next season. That does not lead itself to being a productive fantasy asset regardless of talent.
    But they also have just one right shot in Holl, and Lehtonen has plenty of experience playing on the right side.

    He could very easily be the 3rd best defenseman on that team next season - assuming no additions of course but they have like zero cap space.

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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Quote Originally Posted by Jouko-Pouko View Post
    But they also have just one right shot in Holl, and Lehtonen has plenty of experience playing on the right side.

    He could very easily be the 3rd best defenseman on that team next season - assuming no additions of course but they have like zero cap space.
    That's not really saying much, is it.
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    Default Re: Mikko Lehtonen

    Quote Originally Posted by Axeman33 View Post
    That's not really saying much, is it.
    True, he really should be more of a 4/5 guy to start with at least. My point was that he should get his opportunities because the Leafs don't have a lot of studs ahead of him and they're pushing against the cap as it is.

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