Former Maple Leafs Prospect Officially Leaves North America After NHL Door Closes
Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be losing out on prospect Mikko Kokkonen after he signed a deal with Linkoping of the Swedish Elite League.
With all the talk about who is coming in and coming out of the Maple Leafs organization this summer, we've already seen a fair share of former prospects and players head elsewhere including Alex Steeves, Nick Abruzzese, and Ty Voit.
They didn't have much space here, and the team is also likely to lose out on a couple more when their rights expire. But they can add one more name to the list who had a bit more skin in the game than others.
Mikko Kokkonen Takes Talents To Linkoping for 2025-26
On Monday it was announced that former Marlies defenseman and Maple Leafs prospect Mikko Kokkonen had signed a deal with Swedish Elite League club Linkoping, as the team revealed on social media.
We have been looking to bring in a solid and stable all-round defenseman with defensive elements and that is what we get in Mikko. He is a player with a good first pass, good skating and the ability to stop the game.
He will be important in the box play and when it comes to getting people stuck in his own zone. There are offensive qualities too, but first and foremost he is here to do a solid job on defense.
He is a hungry player with a good drive who still has a goal of playing in the NHL in the future.
He will be important in the box play and when it comes to getting people stuck in his own zone. There are offensive qualities too, but first and foremost he is here to do a solid job on defense.
He is a hungry player with a good drive who still has a goal of playing in the NHL in the future.
Kokkonen will join former Washington Capitals star Jakub Vrana as another NHLer who joined the Swedish team this summer. There are also former NHL players Ty Rattie and Nick Shore on the roster as well.
Why Mikko Kokkonen Never Got a Chance
Drafted 84th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2019, Kokkonen never made it to the NHL and spent his entire time with either the Marlies or with Newfoundland of the ECHL.
In his four seasons with Toronto, he had 46 points (9 goals, 37 assists) in 162 games but at times was looked at as someone who could have earned a spot and was an assistant captain of the team at one time.
Plus, the team has clearly shifted to players who are bigger, meaner, and tougher and while Kokkonen is sound defensively, he's only 6'0.
With the logjam on the backend, plus the new additions brought in, it seems Kokkonen had no place with the team anymore, but he isn't giving up on his NHL dreams, and could very well be back in the fold somewhere in the near future.
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