The Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and New Jersey Devils are among teams that have interest in Mikko Lehtonen, the KHL's top-scoring defenseman from 2019-20, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
The Helsinki Jokerit and Lehtonen mutually agreed to terminate his contract on Friday so he could pursue an NHL career.
The 26-year-old tallied 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 games this season. His 49 points led the Jokerit and were the sixth-most among all KHL skaters.
Lehtonen has represented Finland numerous times on the international stage. He was a part of the nation's 2019 World Championship squad that, despite having just one NHLer, defeated Canada in the gold-medal game. Lehtonen had seven points in 10 games in the tournament. He also won gold with Finland at the 2014 world juniors.
The Habs, Kings, and Devils all have openings on the blue line for next season, specifically for a left-handed defenseman like Lehtonen.
