Promising Defensive Prospect Abandons the Toronto Maple Leafs for Europe

During the Kyle Dubas era, there were a ton of questionable draft picks, especially in the middle to later rounds. Very few players have panned out, with many going to Europe out of frustration.

These frustrations stem from a lack of NHL opportunities. Once general manager Brad Treliving took over, the priorities changed, and many of Dubas' draft picks got put on the back burner.

One of those players was Mikko Kokkonen, who was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The six-foot defenseman has mostly remained a Toronto Marlies mainstay, and even played in the ECHL a couple of seasons ago.

However, with the Leafs bringing in more defenseman and the emergence of Ben Danford on the horizon, Kokkonen has seen the writing on the wall.

According to a new report from The Hockey News Sweden, it has been revealed that Kokkonen is officially leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs, and by extension, the NHL.

Instead, the 24-year-old is going to play in the Swedish Hockey League for Linköping. Here, he will have a better opportunity to actually play.

Last season with the Marlies, Kokkonen played in 50 games and had 3 goals as well as 11 assists. Overall, it was a solid showing, but not enough to make the Leafs roster.

Going into next season, the Marlies reportedly already have 10 defenseman, so getting rid of Kokkonen certainly helps with creating spots on the roster.

While this certainly isn't an easy thing to deal with, this is what is best for the Maple Leafs going forward.

Quite simply, if you were picked by Kyle Dubas, and you were drafted after the first round, there is a good chance you might be out of here soon.