Ville Leino: Philadelphia Flyers Trade Tollefsen to Hockeytown for Help Up Front

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

The Philadelphia Flyers have been mentioned in just about every trade rumor known to man this season. Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco has been named many times and Ilya Kovalchuk's name was bandied around, as were those of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle and many others.

Today, in an effort to spice up their offense, the Flyers made a trade with the Detroit Red Wings that sent defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round draft pick to Hockeytown in exchange for skilled forward Ville Leino.

Clearly, Leino is no Kovalchuk, and he will not help the Flyers' goaltending situation, but he may very well spark the Flyers' offense, which, despite being ranked eighth overall, has been inconsistent all season long, scoring five games one night and failing to score the next.

Leino, a native of Savonlinna, Finland, stands 6'1" and weighs 190 pounds. He is considered a good skater with decent hockey sense, but he has failed to impress at the NHL level, especially on offensive.

Through 42 games with the Red Wings, Leino has amassed four goals and seven points. On the surface it would appear as if Leino will be more of a project for the Flyers than an immediate impact player.

That said, Leino was the Finnish Elite Leagues MVP in 2007-08 and he did notch 46 points in 57 games with the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, in 2008-09.

The Flyers will likely try Leino with a number of different linemates in an effort to find some chemistry.

Originally drafted in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Tollefsen stands 6’2” and weighs in at 211 pounds. He is considered a stay-at-home defenseman that plays a simple, unassuming game.

Detroit has always understood the value of adding depth at defense for the playoff run; as such, Tollefsen joins a long line of defensemen acquired on or before the trade deadline.

Both teams addressed their individual needs with this trade, but, in the short term, the Red Wings look to be the victor here, as Tollefsen is NHL-ready, while Leino is still developing.

Both players are expected to join their new clubs today. It is unclear as to whether they will join their teams in time to make it into the Wings' lineup (playing in Los Angeles tonight) or the Flyers' lineup (playing in Minnesota tonight).

Until next time,

Peace!