The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their quest for cap-friendly additions, with the second signing out of the KHL in the span of a week, signing 24-year-old winger Ilya Mikheyev to a one-year entry-level contract. Mikheyev led Avangard Omsk in scoring with 45 points (23 G, 22 A) in 62 regular season games and 11 points in the Gargarin Cup Playoffs and made the decision to sign with Toronto after being cut by Team Russia for the upcoming World Championships in Slovakia.
The contract is for $925,000(NHL) and $70,000 (AHL) for the 2019-20 season, after which Mikheyev becomes a restricted free agent. The deal is similar to those signed by Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov when they left the KHL in their mid-20’s, giving the Leafs the benefit of an inexpensive contract for a short term before deciding how to go forward.
Mikheyev was sought after by a number of clubs and thrived as a two-way player under former NHL head coach Bob Hartley in Omsk. The 6’2”, 194 lb forward is considered a good get by Toronto, but whether his success translates from Russia to the NHL is anyone’s guess.
Both Mikheyev (Omsk) and 2016 draft pick Egor Korshkov (Novosibirsk) hail from Southeastern Russia and primarily played right wing in the KHL (a position that is already well stocked in the Leafs organization), which could mean that Toronto GM Kyle Dubas is preparing for possible moves involving wingers William Nylander or Kasperi Kapanen this summer, but both are left hand shots, which could mean them moving to the left side where the Leafs are thin with the injury to Zach Hyman and the uncertain status of veteran Patrick Marleau and RFA Andreas Johnsson.
Mikheyev just can't be stopped! His 2nd of the game and it's 3:2 lead for Omsk. pic.twitter.com/3FT9Isgh1X
The addition of the Russian wingers gives Toronto more inexpensive options at forward, to go along with Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore, Jeremy Bracco and Pierre Engvall with the uncertain contract situations of Kapanen, Johnsson and Mitch Marner this summer.
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