Confirmed with Link: [TOR/CBJ] LD Mikko Lehtonen to CBJ for G Veini Vehvilainen

[namttebih]

Opens up a little room for Sandin I guess

What's his timeline for return?

 

[namttebih]

The Leafs don't want to recruit him and then block his career.

Time is money for a 27 y.o. rookie defenceman.

This year he couldn't compete with Dermott.

Next year he would either be sitting -- most likely -- or playing and blocking the path of Liljegren or Sandin.

He's older and doesn't have the upside of any of those guys.

It was a nice try, but it didn't work out here and its time for everyone to move on. Maybe he'll have better luck elsewhere, and the Leafs are preserving their reputation by doing him this favour to help advance his career.

This pretty much sums it up

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Marincin inches closer.

I just sicked in my mouth a little bit..

 

[zeke]

What's his timeline for return?

Prob 2-3 weeks

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Or maybe this deal was made to put Andersen on notice.

Bro, have you seen this guys stats? he is not a good goalie, lol. He is worst then Hutch!

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Annnd what exactly is the point of this move?

Cap space to sign a forward, is my guess.

 

[namttebih]

On the right side, not the left.

Mikko was touted as a lhd that played the right side though

 

[nobody]

Typical Leaf reaction post trade " he can become a Vezina winner"

GTFO

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

I need to see some Liljegren in the NHL.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

The Leafs don't want to recruit him and then block his career.

Time is money for a 27 y.o. rookie defenceman.

This year he couldn't compete with Dermott.

Next year he would either be sitting -- most likely -- or playing and blocking the path of Liljegren or Sandin.

He's older and doesn't have the upside of any of those guys.

It was a nice try, but it didn't work out here and its time for everyone to move on. Maybe he'll have better luck elsewhere, and the Leafs are preserving their reputation by doing him this favour to help advance his career.

It's not even like it didn't work here. It was just the wrong timing. Our defense has 6 high performing defensemen right now and have suffered next to no injuries. We aren't going to touch it for the sake of getting another guy some ice time.

A couple of years ago, he would have likely been a great fit.

But we have Rosen and Kivihalme who are quite similar, although I wouldn't trust Kivihalme unless he was heavily sheltered. That doesn't include Sandin and Marincin either. Of course you have Liljegren on RD as well.

 

[Damisoph]

I don’t understand this trade at all. I mean why not just hold on to him for a year at least

You could have that goalie for something else

Lehtonen looked like an NHLer

Well he wore a NHL jersey, that's about it.

Pretty simple, Keefe had no confidence in Lehtonen and he didn't come over here to sit on the taxi squad or play in the A. So they did him a solid and moved him to a team that will give him a chance.

I just can't believe so many people watched him play and thought he can be a contributor on this team.

 

[Antropovsky]

He looks good in his highlights, very athletic and quick, seems to have good positioning too. Size is an obvious concern.

 

[Bluelines]

Somebody tell me how to feel!

Meh!

 

[Bluelines]

Pretty much sums up my feelings

 

[Bluelines]

If the Leafs are moving Mikko , why was it a goalie in return? Our ECHL team is not playing and we have plenty of goalies to sit in the press box. This guy is not going to challenge for a back up spot, or a taxi squad spot, seems like a weird trade TBH.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Bro, have you seen this guys stats? he is not a good goalie, lol. He is worst then Hutch!

Calm down there bud.

 

[saltming]

Opens up a little room for Sandin I guess

This is the thing most seem to be missing. I'm quoting you because I think posters should think of this.
Complaint: Lehtonen is a ligit defenseman, but is he better or have a higher ceiling that Sandin? So if we sign Lehtonen are people ok with blocking Sandin?
Lehtonen seems like a ligit NHL defenseman with 2nd pp potential, again I think Sandin has proven that and with a higher upside.
Imo if Sandin was stronger he would already be in our bottom 6.
He looks to be Dermotts replacement in the future.
If that's true Lehtonen=Dermott whereas Sandin>Dermott

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I get the feeling of a Campbell/VV tandem next season
I dont think we have seen a large enough sample size to be saying VV is a terrible goalie.
He has been as good as expected when he came over to North America.
But he is way ahead of Woll/Scott imo

Lehtonen was kind of a let down. maybe better if he got more playing time but it is what it is.
Hope to see Liljegren get his chance soon. kid has some serious potential to be a decent Dman in the NHL

 

[Arthur Morgan]

all this proves is that they never liked mikko and that dubas is over freddie

Dont think this move has anything to do with Freddy at this point.
VV might backup this year but this is more likely a future move for next season

 

[LaPlante94]

If the Leafs are moving Mikko , why was it a goalie in return? Our ECHL team is not playing and we have plenty of goalies to sit in the press box. This guy is not going to challenge for a back up spot, or a taxi squad spot, seems like a weird trade TBH.

Marlies can't get consistent goaltending and Woll hasn't really proven anything at the pro level yet so it makes perfect sense. We had a guy who was sitting in a press box doing nothing while we have 2 defenders in Sandin and Liljegren who are NHL ready and Lehtonen doesn't really have any value because him being a KHL star doesn't mean anything over here. We didn't make this trade for this guy to be our Andersen replacement. He's literally just gonna be challenging Woll for the Marlies starter spot and I feel much more comfortable with our goaltending situation now with Woll and Vehvilainen on the Marlies and having Andersen, Campbell and Hutchinson as our 3 on the Leafs.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Typical Leaf reaction post trade " he can become a Vezina winner"

Well any goalie COULD become a Vezina winner. and I'v skimmed through like 6 pages now. not the reactions im seeing...

 

[hullsy47]

If the Leafs are moving Mikko , why was it a goalie in return? Our ECHL team is not playing and we have plenty of goalies to sit in the press box. This guy is not going to challenge for a back up spot, or a taxi squad spot, seems like a weird trade TBH.

 

[hullsy47]

Pretty obvious the blue jackets wanted lehtonen last summer
They have FINNISH GM and he likely had a hand in things
Plus the leafs took a goalie off their hands is maybe a prelude to nick foligno coming here

 

[VanW27]

If the Leafs are moving Mikko , why was it a goalie in return? Our ECHL team is not playing and we have plenty of goalies to sit in the press box. This guy is not going to challenge for a back up spot, or a taxi squad spot, seems like a weird trade TBH.

With 3 goalies on the roster required this year you need 5 goalies for the Leafs/Marlies.

We started the year with these 6:
Andersen
Campbell
Dell
Hutch
Woll
Scott

But we lost Dell, Campbell and Scott are hurt, and Andersen has been hurt as well. At one point we were down to Hutch and Woll and some AHL fillers. That's not a good place to be.

 

[paulhiggins]

I don't think that Lehtonen was "blocking" Sandin and Liljegren at all. Good players play when they're healthy and they're ready. Doubt if we see much of either this season on the Leafs and they're certainly not going to play in the playoffs without recent NHL experience.