Jori Lehtera: The Philadelphia Flyers’ Problems Continue
Jori Lehtera will appear in Finnish court for his involvement in a cocaine distribution ring which started in January of this year
Jori Lehtera has not been as good as the Philadelphia Flyers had hoped. At this point, he is primarily known as the player who left the St. Louis Blues in the Brayden Schenn deal. As opposed to his time in St. Louis, Lehtera is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Back in September, the story broke about Lehtera’s involvement in the drug-ring, and it was addressed by the Flyers and the NHL. Lehtera continues to deny any involvement in the case, and is one of 22 people being prosecuted. He is not considered one of the main suspects in the case.
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Lehtera is having a forgettable season with the Flyers and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. His $4.7 million cap hit with three points to show for it is disappointing, to say the least.
Based on his connection to the drug case at this time, and his lack of production, there is a good chance the Flyers, along with every other NHL franchise, pass on the opportunity to sign him next offseason.
The case is set to commence on December 31st, and he will need to appear in court at some point after that, most likely at the start of 2019.
The Flyers have plenty on their plate as they try to turn their season around, but with a new coaching change and this story making headlines, the front office must be completely on edge. It is not known if Lehtera needs to miss any ice time, but frankly, that is probably the least of their concerns. The faster he can get his name cleared, hopefully, the better it will be for them to focus on hockey. Needless to say, there has always been a strong connection between cocaine usage and the NHL, but this is not what anyone had in mind.
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The good news is goaltending prospect Carter Hart is off to a racing start, and there is a good chance he maintains a strong presence in the crease as the Flyers’ season carries on. Nevertheless, as the Flyers continue to find the bright spots during their 2018-19 campaign, there are more than enough problems to deal with before the season concludes.