Mikko Lehtonen signs a KHL deal

Russo has just reported that the Wild have been informed that Mikko Lehtonen, the goal scoring prospect the Wild received as part of the Anton Khudobin trade, has signed a contract with a KHL team.  While it is still possible for the Wild to sign and bring the kid to camp, as the Wild own his rights, it seems unlikely.

Russo's Blog Post

This is some bad news for the Wild.  There is never any guarantees with a prospect, especially one that has gone overseas to be able to get the playing time that he wants.  Still, Lehtonen had the potential to be a scorer that the Wild could have really used on the team.  If nothing else, he should have had a decent shot at making the team and even getting a tryout on a line with Koivu.

Russo, and other commentators, have been mentioning that Lehtonen was getting a lot of interest from the KHL and other European leagues.  Still, I had hoped the Wild's first line openings, other Finnish players, and the chance to play a significant part on an NHL team would be enough for the kid to give it a chance.  This does make the search for who fills in the Wild's roster next season just a little more intriguing.