CBJ Today: Lehtonen impresses in first shot with Blue Jackets

Each weekday this season, BlueJackets.com will post CBJ Today, a look at news, notes, analysis and fun stuff from around the Blue Jackets world. It's everything you need to know if you're a fan going into the day.

Welcome, Mikko

First things first, Mikko Lehtonen is no spring chicken.
The 27-year-old defenseman had a decorated career in Europe, first for his hometown TPS team in Finland and then for various teams around his home country and Sweden before last season, when he was positively dominant in the KHL for Jokerit. A season ago, Lehtonen racked up a 17-32-49 line and a plus-26 rating from the blue line in Europe's best league, pretty much proving he had done all he could do on that side of the world.
So he came to the NHL this past offseason, considering bids from a number of clubs including Columbus before signing with Toronto. Things didn't quite work out there -- he got lost in a numbers shuffle, playing in just nine games and earning three assists with the Leafs -- before he was acquired last month by the Blue Jackets for goalie Veini Vehvilainen.
Let's call a spade a spade -- Lehtonen didn't come to North America to sit the bench. At his age and given his success overseas, he came to the NHL to prove to himself and the world he could play on the biggest stage, which means his opportunity now with Columbus is a big one.
"This has been my dream my whole life, so I try to enjoy it and also at the same time, I know I can be really good here also," he said. "I just want to have success this year and play my best, and I think when I play my best it's enough here. I can be really good here also."
One game in and he's impressed for the Blue Jackets. Lehtonen played with Dean Kukan on the third pair Tuesday night in the win over Tampa Bay, skating 16:07 -- including some penalty kill time -- and putting two shots on goal in the Jackets' 3-1 win, catching John Tortorella's eye along the way.
"I liked him," the head coach said after the game. "I loved his competitiveness. I like what he looks like. When I look at him before the game, he is ready to play. I don't know much about him, but Jarmo told me he's a professional. … A lot of good things. Good legs. Wasn't afraid to eat a puck and take hits. Made some good plays. Good for him. This guy hasn't played a lot of hockey so I thought he played well tonight."
He showed poise on the puck and wasn't afraid to skate in difficult areas with the puck on his stick, and Lehtonen also displayed a physical side along the wall. In all, it was enough to impress his head coach, but the Finn's next goal is to contribute more on the offensive end.
"I am a pretty good skater, so I want to skate the puck up well and give good passes to the forwards," Lehtonen said. "I can do that pretty well, and also at the same time play hard on defense, hit hard, play aggressive in the D-zone and neutral zone, everywhere on the ice. My biggest strengths are to get pucks through from the blue line so I hope I can bring these things to here also, get some shots through and skate the puck up and defend well.
"When the play is there, you have to jump on the play but not force it. I don't want to do that, but it is part of my game to be active, to bring offense also, so I want to do that and help the team score."

A Big Night for Cleveland

Things are looking up for the Cleveland Monsters, the top farm team of the Blue Jackets.
Not only has the team won three of four games over the past week after last night's 5-1 win at Rochester, some of the young CBJ prospects are making people take notice.
2019 seventh-round pick Tyler Angle was so impressive in his initial showing - four goals and six points in his first four games - that he earned an entry-level contact, signed Tuesday. Meanwhile, two Monsters who have contracts with the Blue Jackets earned their first career pro goals last night.
First, defenseman Jake Christiansen -- who tallied 22 times in 39 WHL games last year to turn heads -- notched his first pro tally in the opening period, all part of a three-point night. Later in the game, Josh Dunne, who signed with Columbus last month and who
I wrote about Monday
, got his first pro goal as well.
Add in goals from Gavin Bayreuther (who has five points in the last two games), Tyler Sikura and Zach Jordan plus 23 saves from veteran Brad Thiessen and it was a winning formula for the Monsters last night. But just as importantly, youngsters on the squad are standing up and rising to the occasion, a nice sign for an organization near the bottom of most farm system rankings.

Welcome Bally Sports

Just a heads up -- don't change the channel tonight if you put on the Blue Jackets and see something different.
It's no April Fools joke, it's just a rebrand. Fox Sports Ohio has changed its name to Bally Sports Ohio, and there will be a new graphics package as well. But other than that, things will be the same -- the Blue Jackets broadcasts will be on found on the same channels/apps as usual, and you'll see familiar faces like Jeff Rimer, Jody Shelley and the rest.
In other words, nothing will change for you the viewer when it comes to finding the team on the air, so sit back and enjoy Bally Sports Ohio.