Leafs sign Finnish defenseman to ELC
In an otherwise quiet day for Leafs news, the team has announced that they have signed 21-year-old Finnish defenseman Mikko Kokkonen to a 3-year entry-level contract beginning next season.
Kokkonen was a third round pick (84th overall) of the Leafs in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Since that time, Kokkonen has played 3 seasons in SM-liiga, competed in two U20 IIHF World Junior Championships in 2020 and 2021 and also had an 11-game trial with the Toronto Marlies last season.
This likely means that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas plans to have Kokkonen come over to North America this summer to begin his transition to the smaller ice surface in the American Hockey League with the Marlies.
A defensive defenseman, Kokkonen is not going to fill the net, but he can provide some stability on the back end for the Marlies and, perhaps one day, for the Leafs. In 58 games with the Lahti Pelicans this season, Kokkonen has recorded 1 goal and 14 assists for 15 points.
| POLL | ||
MARS 30 | 145 ANSWERS Leafs sign Finnish defenseman to ELC Will Mikko Kokkonen develop into an NHL player for the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 86 | 59.3 % |
| No | 28 | 19.3 % |
| Show me the results | 31 | 21.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
