The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday the signing of Finnish defenseman Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2020-21 season. The 26-year-old joins Toronto after playing the 2019-20 season with Jokerit in the Kontinental Hockey League.
In 60 games with Jokerit, Lehtonen totaled 49 points (17 goals and 32 assists) and an additional four points in six playoff games before it was ultimately canceled. He also represented Finland in two World Championships (2017 and 2019), the 2018 Winter Olympics and in the 2014 World Junior Championship.
2 assists and then this blast in Game 1 – Mikko Lehtonen 🇫🇮 keeps scoring those points for @jokerithc. #GagarinCup pic.twitter.com/JKI8y4kc0W
— KHL (@khl_eng) March 2, 2020
During the 2019-20 season, he was named KHL Defenseman of the Month for three straight months from November to January, while also scoring the most points by a defenseman last season in the KHL.
Who had the best first KHL career season? This guy, probably.
— KHL (@khl_eng) February 28, 2020
Congratulations to @jokerithc's Mikko Lehtonen 🇫🇮! pic.twitter.com/bIXgk6oivV
The left-shot defenseman adds depth to the Maple Leafs blueline with Cody Ceci, Tyson Barrie and Travis Dermott pending free agents after the season. Toronto is heavy on left-shot blueliners (six including Lehtonen) with Justin Holl the only right-shot defenseman signed for next season.
As TSN's Bob McKenzie noted, Lehtonen has experience playing on the right side.
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
The Maple Leafs are tied for the league's sixth-worst defense in 2019-20 allowing 3.17 goals per game. Toronto also had the league's 11th-worst penalty kill at 77.7 percent.