Coming off of a two-assist performance on Wednesday, Lehtonen will sit for the first time in nine games. Andrew Peeke will draw into the lineup to replace Lehtonen.
Lehtonen was acquired from the Maple Leafs on March 12th and is finally expected to make his Blue Jackets debut on Tuesday. In his first season in the NHL, Lehtonen has three assists in nine games.
Lehtonen has been and out of the Maple Leafs lineup all season-long, picking up three assists in seven games while averaging 11:41 TOI/gm. He will replace Jake Muzzin, who is out with a broken bone in his face.
Lehtonen played a career-high 17:47 TOI in the Maple Leafs' win over the Senators on Thursday but will be replaced by Zach Bogosian in the lineup in Montreal.
Lehtonen played in the last two games but will be replaced by Travis Dermott on Wednesday. Dermott returns from a two-game absence from a lower-body injury.
Lehtonen has been in and out of the Maple Leafs lineup to start his NHL career, playing in just four of the first 11 games of the season. On Saturday, he will replace Travis Dermott, who is dealing with a charley horse from Thursday's win. Lehtonen as one assist and one shot while averaging 9:21 TOI in his first four NHL games.
Lehtonen has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Travis Dermott in the lineup on Tuesday. Lehtonen averaged just 7:38 TOI in his first two NHL games but he dressed as a seventh D-man in those instances--he should see more usage on Tuesday.
With Nick Robertson out for a few weeks at least, the Maple Leafs will dress seven defensemen Monday vs. the Jets. Lehtonen played last year and the start of this year in KHL, where he had 25 goals and 41 assists (66 points) in 77 games. Although it was not confirmed, Lehtonen figures to see some reps on the second power-play unit.
Lehtonen was a 26-year-old, undrafted free agent defenseman out of Finland. Lehtonen has bounced all over Europe in recent years, most recently playing for Jokerit in the KHL. In 2019-20, the 5-foot-11, 196 lbs. blueliner led the team with 49 points (17G / 32A) in 60 games.