Mikko Lehtonen signs with Leafs

[herman]

Welcome to Leafs Nation, Mikko!

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

Details: https://t.co/y2g4D4ufU8 pic.twitter.com/76VN57iVN0

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 4, 2020

Haha haha of course

[herman]

In case you weren’t following the past couple of days:

Lehtonen parted ways amicably with Jokerit/KHL late last week with the intention of continuing his career in the NHL. He was the top defender last season in points and had a multi-team bidding war going on including the Devils, Kings, and Habs.

[CarltonTheBear]

Woah this came out of nowhere. I remember reading that this guy was supposed to be pretty decent but never really looked closely because the Leafs weren't being linked to him.

A lefty though, weird.

[herman]

I was considering sharing the tweet about him terminating his contract with Jokerit last week, but Rielly, Muzzin, Dermott, Sandin, Kivihalme, Rosen, Marincin said, hey wait.

https://dobberprospects.com/player/mikko-lehtonen/

Lehtonen is also not just a pure offensive player who would be a liability defensively. He’s not a defensive stud but he plays an NHL level two-way game already. He is also a very good skater which obviously helps matters. He is expected to be NHL ready right away with no time needed in the AHL. Most likely he’ll start on the bottom pair and play on the second power play unit but he could work his way up to the second pair depending on the team he signs with.

[CarltonTheBear]

Tired: We should move Dermott to RD

Wired: We should move Dermott AND Rielly to RD

Muzzin-Rielly
Sandin-Dermott
Lehtonen-Holl

[herman]

I think Dermott might be in the middle of a pretty good trade package.

[CarltonTheBear]

I think Dermott might be in the middle of a pretty good trade package.

Yeah I think he's one of the more likely guys to get traded this offseason. Especially after this signing.

[herman]

I think Dermott might be in the middle of a pretty good trade package.

Yeah I think he's one of the more likely guys to get traded this offseason. Especially after this signing.

I'm not one to usually say this signing now makes that other player expendable because they play the same spot. It's okay to have multiple good players!

But between Muzzin, Rielly, and Sandin, Dermott doesn't really have any standout capability warranting cap space and ice time at this juncture. Especially since he is in the sweet spot of development with a pedigree of junior/AHL success, a combination of Dermott + Kapanen is a very attractive trade package.

[Bates]

Lehtonen is a left shot who played left side in KHL this season but he did play RD for FIN at last year’s World Championship. He’s a candidate, along with multiple others, to play RD but Travis Dermott is probably the LS D with the most experience/aptitude to play RS. https://t.co/8aalTq74nE

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 4, 2020

?s=19

[herman]

Noice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpVxZltSjUg
Just from the highlights, which is a very small sample (especially for assessing a defenseman), he does attack both sides of the ice efficiently by creeping into space. His wrist shot is the favoured approach to the net, but he also plays heads up instead of blindly firing slappers from as far away as possible. Might just be survivor bias though, as no one is scoring from the corner pockets, and thus would not appear on the highlights.

Here are some Mikko Lehtonen highlights for #LeafsForever fans. pic.twitter.com/uxfzrPWDg3

— Alex Nunn (@aj_ranger) May 4, 2020

[Nik]

This will be an excellent addition for the 2020-21 season which will definitely take place.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

It appears RHDs don't exist anywhere on this planet.

[CarltonTheBear]

It appears RHDs don't exist anywhere on this planet.

I actually wonder how many Crazy Hockey Dads are giving their kids right-handed sticks when they first start to play for this reason.

[herman]

Lehtonen is a left shot who played left side in KHL this season but he did play RD for FIN at last year’s World Championship. He’s a candidate, along with multiple others, to play RD but Travis Dermott is probably the LS D with the most experience/aptitude to play RS. https://t.co/8aalTq74nE

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 4, 2020

Invalid Tweet IDBasically every LHD coming through the SHL system has spent time playing the right side

[herman]

The KHL had player and puck tracking for the first time this season, and though I can't find all the data, here are a couple notes on the newest #Leafs defenceman Mikko Lehtonen:

— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) May 4, 2020

Dude's a skater