The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired goaltender Veini Vehviläinen from the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenceman Mikko Lehtonen.
Vehviläinen, 24, has played in one game for the Blue Jackets this season – his NHL debut on March 6. He’s also suited up for one contest with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and 13 with JyP Jyvaskyla in Finland’s Liiga in 2020-21, where he went 3-7-3 with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.
The Jyvaskyla, Finland native was a sixth-round pick (173rd overall) of the Blue Jackets in 2018 and backstopped the Monsters in 33 games during the AHL’s 2019-20 season (10-18-4, 2.76 GAA, .901 SV%).
Lehtonen, 27, signed a one-year, entry-level deal with the Maple Leafs in the off-season and had three assists in nine games for Toronto this season. The Turku, Finland native will join the Blue Jackets taxi squad after obtaining a work visa and clearing quarantine.
Before signing in Toronto last May, Lehtonen posted a 17-goal, 49-point season in 60 games with Jokerit in 2019-20, which led KHL defencemen that season.
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