The Dallas Stars have announced that goaltender Kari Lehtonen has been granted a leave of absence from the team for personal reasons. As a result they’ve called up AHL goaltender Mike McKenna to back up starter Ben Bishop.
While we don’t want to speculate on the nature of Lehtonen’s personal reasons, the 34-year-old goaltender has not looked good this season in Dallas. In seven starts, Lehtonent has just two wins, a 2.89 GAA and .897 save percentage. This is the big Finn’s 9th season in Dallas and likely his last. His $5.9 million annual salary comes off the books this upcoming offseason.
Here’s hoping the best for Lehtonen and his family.
