BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - MAY 25: #4 Mikko Lehtonen of Finland vies with #86 Nikita Kucherov of Russia during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia semi final game between Russia and Finland at Ondrej Nepela Arena on May 25, 2019 in Bratislava, Slovakia. (Photo by RvS.Media/Robert Hradil/Getty Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have called an early end to the Mikko Lehtonen experiment.
On Friday the Toronto Maple Leafs sent Lehtonen to the Marlies on what was assumed to be a conditioning stint. Players have to play, and sitting around for week after week on the taxi squad isn’t going to help anyone, so Lehtonen was optioned to the Marlies.