Former First-round Pick Leaving the NHL After this Season

PUBLICATION

TJ Tucker
February 2, 2024 (9:54)

SHARE THIS STORY

A first-round NHL draft pick in 2019 has decided he's heading to Europe for the 2024-25 season. According to Expressen.se, a deal is already in place.

The report states the 19th overall pick in 2019 of the Ottawa Senators, Lassi Thomson, has an agreement in place with the Malmo Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for next season.

"According to reliable sources, an agreement has been reached with Finnish defender Lassi Thomson. He is a right-handed defenseman, who in 2019 was drafted in the first round by Ottawa as number 19 overall. In 2020, he was captain of the Finnish World Junior Championship team. He has tried to break into the NHL, but has only played 18 games in total in Ottawa. Therefore, he is now making a new start." - Expressen.se

While Thomson has only ever played for the Ottawa Senators in the NHL, he was briefly a member of the Anaheim Ducks just before this season began after he was put on waivers on Oct. 1, 2023. He even played a preseason game with th team. One week later, he returned to Ottawa after being put on waivers again by Anaheim, and has been with the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League since then.

It's not clear whether Thomson is hoping to return to North America to play hockey again at some point, or whether he's decided to permanently stay in Europe.