It was announced today that stud blueliner Mikko Lehtonen signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, thus robbing the Vegas Golden Knights of the chance to significantly bolster their roster.
Granted, it was never reported that the Golden Knights were one of the bevy of teams chasing Lehtonen’s signature, but they should have been.
Regarded by many as the top defenseman playing in Europe this season and the jewell of the European free agency period, Lehtonen was being pursued by a plethora of NHL teams and it is the Leafs who ultimately won out.