Confirmed with Link: The @MapleLeafs have signed defenceman Teemu Kivihalme to a one-year entry level contract.

[Magic Man]

I don't think that's a given. AJ may price himself out, they may find a RHD as part of a kap deal. Who knows

There is an obvious plan A. That would include them on the team. If there gone I think it means Marleau vetoed all the trade attempts.

If there is a trade to be made for RHD, I'm pushing Nylander for Ristolainen, it makes a fair bit of sense.

 

[Buds17]

I'll take the defence equivalent of the Finnish Flash. A defenceman drafted by Nashville too.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

There is an obvious plan A. That would include them on the team. If there gone I think it means Marleau vetoed all the trade attempts.

If there is a trade to be made for RHD, I'm pushing Nylander for Ristolainen, it makes a fair bit of sense.

No way Risto is a turnover machine in his own end. He is big and tough but no brains. We don't need that kinda stupid toughness.

 

[hullsy47]

I'll take the defence equivalent of the Finnish Flash. A defenceman drafted by Nashville too.

I love these signings .Babcock has the play his horses
the whole bottom 6 will be on entry level deals

 

[Canada4Gold]

His name is not Mitch Marner, and it doesn’t involve Babcock being fired. Therefore it must be bad or something. I don’t know how it works around here.

 

[Warden of the North]

So instead of signing the big Liiga offensive star RHD we sign another small LHD??? I don't understand this at all.

Maybe the other guy doesnt want to sign with us?

Maybe this is just a Marlies signing?

 

[WTFMAN99]

Maybe the other guy doesnt want to sign with us?

Maybe this is just a Marlies signing?

At his age, he'll want to get a chance at NHL minutes. Plus this guy is like 6 feet tall right? Pretty average.

 

[Buds17]

I love these signings .Babcock has the play his horses
the whole bottom 6 will be on entry level deals

I can only hope the strategy will work as it is obviously Plan A. It's go time for the coach and players like never before. Hopefully the players will be generally healthy, here, and ready for the opportunity. Would be good to hit on some of these under the radar signings to a degree as well.

 

[nuck]

Nice. There will be deep crop of young D next training camp.

 

[Kiwi]

There is an obvious plan A. That would include them on the team. If there gone I think it means Marleau vetoed all the trade attempts.

If there is a trade to be made for RHD, I'm pushing Nylander for Ristolainen, it makes a fair bit of sense.

That is a bad idea, Risto is a defensive train wreck

We need guys that can defend, scoring puck movers with questionable defensive games we've got

At his age, he'll want to get a chance at NHL minutes. Plus this guy is like 6 feet tall right? Pretty average.

Reading what the Finnish posters wrote about him on the prospects board looks promising

He sounds like he can pass and skate the puck out of his own zone, that's a skill I like in a defenseman and he had as many ES points as the Finnish guy signing with Detroit as well everybody was interested in

Also he was the best defenseman in the playoffs which says something about him when the games get tougher

Promising

 

[nuck]

That is a bad idea, Risto is a defensive train wreck

We need guys that can defend, scoring puck movers with questionable defensive games we've got



Reading what the Finnish posters wrote about him on the prospects board looks promising

He sounds like he can pass and skate the puck out of his own zone, that's a skill I like in a defenseman and he had as many ES points as the Finnish guy signing with Detroit as well everybody was interested in

Also he was the best defenseman in the playoffs which says something about him when the games get tougher

Promising

Maybe they feel they need a Finn in the system to attract Kaski. It sounded like he was Detroit bound, but not yet!

 

[ToMaLe]

Always nice to find a free wallet, now we just have to find out if the wallet had anything in it.

 

[Kiwi]

Maybe they feel they need a Finn in the system to attract Kaski. It sounded like he was Detroit bound, but not yet!

Looking at what some of the Finnish posters were writing some of them think this guys going to be better

Apparently his ability to exit the zone and skate are strong attributes to his game and may translate well to the N/A game

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Looking at what some of the Finnish posters were writing some of them think this guys going to be better

Apparently his ability to exit the zone and skate are strong attributes to his game and may translate well to the N/A game

But do they not realize he shoots left? Awful signing

 

[Blue Nate]

But do they not realize he shoots left? Awful signing

Apparently they did not realize it until too late. Dubas is such a knob I swear.

 

[Orfieus]

if he can get onto the Marlies roster that would be perfect with Rosen down, the Marlies are forced to ice 2 right-handed shots on the bottom pairing

 

[Maplebeasts]

There is an obvious plan A. That would include them on the team. If there gone I think it means Marleau vetoed all the trade attempts.

If there is a trade to be made for RHD, I'm pushing Nylander for Ristolainen, it makes a fair bit of sense.

No it doesn't. Risto is a hot mess

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

This guy played almost 30 minutes a game in the Liiga finals. He's a sure fire top pair guy in that league at 23 years old.

Means nothing until he plays over here obviously but I like this pick up.

 

[Warden of the North]

But do they not realize he shoots left? Awful signing

You take any skill you can and figure out the details later.

Its also a little strange to have such a negative reaction to a low dollar short term contract which could be easily buried or traded if needed.

 

[Budsfan]

Leafs look to Finland for latest prospect signing
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
Leafs look to Finland for latest prospect signing

CLEVELAND — Another day, another signing by the Maple Leafs.
The newest member of the organization is Teemu Kivihalme, a left-shooting defenceman who had 30 points in 60 games this past season for Karpat in Finland’s Liiga.
The 23-year-old Kivihalme signed a one-year, entry-level deal that would will pay him US$925,000 (including a signing bonus) with the Leafs and $70,000 if he plays for the Toronto Marlies.
Kivihalme was born in Minnesota and holds dual citizenship between the United States and Finland. Originally a fifth-round pick with the Nashville Predators in 2013, Kivihalme spent three seasons at Colorado College joining Karpat for the 2018-19 season.

• Babcock a factor in Mikheyev signing, and yes, and the Leafs coach will be back next season

The six-foot, 181-pound Kivihalme had nine points in 16 playoff games this spring.
He is expected to battle for a job in training camp on a Leafs blue line that is expected to lose Jake Gardiner, Ron Hainsey and Martin Marincin to free agency.
Included among the Marlies who will be eligible for free agency this summer are veteran defencemen Vincent LoVerde and Steve Oleksy.
The addition of Kivihalme comes after the Leafs signed Russian right winger Ilya Mikheyev on Monday, and after the Leafs signed 2016 second-round pick Egor Korshkov last week.
[email protected]

 

[Joey Hoser]

Its also a little strange to have such a negative reaction to a low dollar short term contract which could be easily buried or traded if needed.

Everyone's gotta have an opinion, even if there is no reason to and you don't know a f***in' thing about it.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

You take any skill you can and figure out the details later.

Its also a little strange to have such a negative reaction to a low dollar short term contract which could be easily buried or traded if needed.

handedness is arguably the least important trait in a player, and it's somehow the biggest area people want to focus on. Well, that and how he's apparently super undersized at 6' 185 pounds. When you get a surplus of similar players, you can move one or two of them to fill an area of weakness. The perfect player isn't going to fall into Dubas' lap for free, so I hope he's willing to take what he can get and make it work

 

[Leafs at Knight]

I swear if we draft any left shooters this year, I'm not watching a single game next year. Unacceptable

 

[MyBudJT]

handedness is arguably the least important trait in a player, and it's somehow the biggest area people want to focus on. Well, that and how he's apparently super undersized at 6' 185 pounds. When you get a surplus of similar players, you can move one or two of them to fill an area of weakness. The perfect player isn't going to fall into Dubas' lap for free, so I hope he's willing to take what he can get and make it work

If you think the LH and RH players are completely interchangable in all situations, then I don't know what to say to you. You should study Hockey.

 

[Leafs87]

What about the other finish guy everyone wants ?