The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Finnish defenceman Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2020-21 season.
The 26-year-old is coming off a 17-goal, 49-point effort over 60 games with Jokerit to lead all Kontinental Hockey League blue-liners in scoring.
Viewed by many observers as the top European-based defenceman in 2019-20, Lehtonen is coming off a KHL all-star appearance, and was named the league's top player at his position three times from November through January.
The left-shot native of Turku added a goal and three assist in six playoff games prior to the cancellation of the KHL schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before joining Jokerit, the five-foot-11, 196-pound Lehtonen won an Swedish Hockey League title in 2016-17 as a member of HV71 and captured a bronze medal in Finland's top division in 2017-18 with Tappara.
Lehtonen helped Finland win gold at the 2014 world junior hockey championship and the 2019 men's world championships and also represented his country at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
with files from (The Canadian Press)