Provost Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 I haven't heard any rumours that we are in the mix, but this guy looks to be a bargain for any team who acquires him. Great in the KHL, will be signed for a cheap short term deal by whoever gets him. He is left handed but plays both sides equally. The biggest rumours seem to be New Jersey, but nothing really solid at all. If we need to save money, him and his countryman Juolevi could be good fits the change up the blueline.https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/56196/mikko-lehtonen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Maybe, depending on cap hit and term? These guys often want contract security or big amounts. Also unless he takes a right side spot (given one of Tanev/ Stecher leaves), he might actually end up blocking Juolevi for a roster spot which I hope doesn't happen. Currently I think the focus for signings should still be Markstrom and Toffoli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickyoursedin Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Provost said: I haven't heard any rumours that we are in the mix, but this guy looks to be a bargain for any team who acquires him. Great in the KHL, will be signed for a cheap short term deal by whoever gets him. He is left handed but plays both sides equally. The biggest rumours seem to be New Jersey, but nothing really solid at all. If we need to save money, him and his countryman Juolevi could be good fits the change up the blueline.https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/56196/mikko-lehtonen Very impressive when a dman leads his team in points. Definitely a worthwhile flyer for sure. Here’s hoping we are in the mix on this guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted May 2, 2020 Author Share Posted May 2, 2020 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Phil_314 said: Maybe, depending on cap hit and term? These guys often want contract security or big amounts. Also unless he takes a right side spot (given one of Tanev/ Stecher leaves), he might actually end up blocking Juolevi for a roster spot which I hope doesn't happen. Currently I think the focus for signings should still be Markstrom and Toffoli. ... so... as per my OP. He plays both sides equally so would not block Juolevi at all, and could even be paired with him down the road if there is enough comfort in Juolevi defensively. The word is it will be a cheap, short term contract so anything above Benn numbers would be unusual. Edited May 2, 2020 by Provost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 4 minutes ago, Provost said: ... so... as per my OP. He plays both sides equally so would not block Juolevi at all, and could even be paired with him down the road if there is enough comfort in Juolevi defensively. The word is it will be a cheap, short term contract so anything above Benn numbers would be unusual. Well the reason I mention this is his versatility aside, we still have Myers/ Tanev/ Stecher (maybe even Rafferty if he breaks out) on the right side. If management sees Hughes/ Tanev as an instrumental pairing and Edler - Myers, and if Rafferty makes the team after having to let Stecher go for $ reasons, then Lehtonen could end up on 3rd pair left D if he performs well... ahead of Juolevi. It's too early to discount a possibility like this. The price point sounds decent but this might be a case of "less is more" if Olli's good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 (edited) How's his play in his own end? I'm a little leery after we got burned with Larsen. Edited May 2, 2020 by King Heffy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 (edited) Not really interested in D man that would only come over here for an NHL spot. We have enough depth guys in the system now that we should be giving a look at. The thing is he likely only gets those points because he plays big minutes and first unit pp, which he wouldn’t be getting here. So what does he bring when he’s not playing those minutes? Physical play? Shutdown ability? Edited May 2, 2020 by DeNiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rekker Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 5 hours ago, King Heffy said: How's his play in his own end? I'm a little leery after we got burned with Larsen. Larsen..... I just shivered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 6 hours ago, Phil_314 said: Well the reason I mention this is his versatility aside, we still have Myers/ Tanev/ Stecher ... umm no we don’t. We only have Myers on the right side for next season when this contract would startz We don’t know if anyone else will be back. We don’t know who we can afford. We have 3 decent D coming back in total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 25 minutes ago, Provost said: ... umm no we don’t. We only have Myers on the right side for next season when this contract would startz We don’t know if anyone else will be back. We don’t know who we can afford. We have 3 decent D coming back in total. *meant to say Myers and likely either Tanev or Stecher. No way it'd be trimmed down to bare bones, unless they think Demko's the next coming of Hellebuyck. Also not sure why the idea is that a newcomer like Lehtonen can so easily replace one of the guys who would probably leave? Every team and every player is working with the same dollars, and given the economic situation and loyalty, who knows if a guy like Chris could take a discount to make it work. If Chris goes Troy (whose rights we still have) would probably be someone to retain as this team values its having the same vets to mentor the kids when it comes to players kept. I don't see it being less than 4 regulars (Eddie, Hughes, Myers, one of Tanev/ Stecher) coming back. Also again we don't know how much Lehtonen would ask for so he may or may not be a cheaper option (the Benn part previously mentioned should be considered purely speculation, not a definite that he would be a cheaper option). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davathor Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 7 hours ago, Provost said: ... so... as per my OP. He plays both sides equally so would not block Juolevi at all, and could even be paired with him down the road if there is enough comfort in Juolevi defensively. The word is it will be a cheap, short term contract so anything above Benn numbers would be unusual. Joulevi's a bust, dont know how a good defenceman from the KHL has anything to do with that waste of a pick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Led the KHL in points by a D-man...just like Philip Larsen, Darren Dietz, Chris Lee, Kevin Dallman, and post-NHL flame-out Cam Barker. In other words, don’t get your hopes up. Likely not an NHL-calibre D-man. Not to mention - how does having Juolevi mean anything when it comes to signing some other Fin? It’s not like they played together. At least Lehtonen was briefly on the same team as Utunen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwijibo Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 From the sounds of things he’s going to end up in New Jersey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 (edited) 16 hours ago, Davathor said: Joulevi's a bust, dont know how a good defenceman from the KHL has anything to do with that waste of a pick. Just like Virtanen was a bust? Benning has been proven right time and time again even when people have written off his picks. Ill take his belief in Juolevi and continue to be optimistic. He may never be a flashy player but neither was Hjalmarsson and the Hawks don’t win 3 cups without him. Edited May 3, 2020 by DeNiro 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo2337 Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 The leafs? Wtf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 42 minutes ago, gizmo2337 said: The leafs? Wtf? Zaitsev all over again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 I actually thought he was in a category where he didn’t have to sign an ELC anymore. I guess he becomes one of the Leaf’s best D right off the hop. A good, low risk signing. We are slavering over a guy who is an average KHL D hopefully signing with us... so it is pretty hard to trash talk them signing one of the top D from the same league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwijibo Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 F’in leafs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 10 minutes ago, Provost said: I actually thought he was in a category where he didn’t have to sign an ELC anymore. I guess he becomes one of the Leaf’s best D right off the hop. A good, low risk signing. We are slavering over a guy who is an average KHL D hopefully signing with us... so it is pretty hard to trash talk them signing one of the top D from the same league. yeah but look at where the bar is I'll wait to get excited/worried about the Leafs holding a parade. ML might be "OK" but his performance in the SHL was average, and KHL scoring success more often than not means nothing in the NHL, particularly for defensemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 If he's a steady, mobile guy maybe he'll be Rielly's running mate? Depending on whether they want Muzzin to hold down his own line But yeah, $925k for the best D as mentioned is a no lose proposition, at worst he leaves after a year if it doesn't pan out? Hope he's the next Shipachyov 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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