The Mikko Lehtonen era in Columbus is over.
Today, the Blue Jackets announced that Lehtonen had been suspended and placed on unconditional waivers after the defenseman failed to report to Cleveland.
Lehtonen has had an excellent career in the KHL, but it didn't translate to NHL success. He failed to make the Blue Jackets' roster out of training camp, and was put on waivers with the purpose of assigning him to Cleveland. He cleared waivers and was assigned to Cleveland, but didn't report to the club, forcing the Blue Jackets to suspend him.
The Blue Jackets acquired Lehtonen from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 12th of this year. He tallied 0-3-3 in 17 games with the Blue Jackets last season. In the offseason, the Blue Jackets signed him to a one-year contract worth $900K.
