By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo Sabres have signed unrestricted free agent forward Ville Leino to a multi-year deal.
Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced the signing Friday afternoon.
The Sabres released the following stats and information on Leino:
Leino (10/6/1983, 6'1", 190 lbs.) played in 81 games for Philadelphia in 2010-11 and was fifth in team scoring with career highs in points (53), goals (19), assists (34), power play goals (5) and plus/minus (+14). Leino also chipped in five points (3+2) in 11 playoff games, including the overtime game winner against the Sabres in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
A native of Savonlinna, Finland, Leino has 73 points (30+43) in 149 career games with Philadelphia and Detroit. In the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Leino set a Flyers franchise record for goals (7) and points (21) by a rookie in a single playoff season. That included nine points in the Stanley Cup Finals, as he collected points in five of six games against Chicago.
Leino was an undrafted free agent who signed with Detroit on May 10, 2008. The Flyers acquired Leino from the Red Wings in exchange for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and fifth-round draft pick on February 6, 2010.