The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Nikita Soshnikov to the NHL.
Soshnikov was with the Marlies and, as you may have heard, has a clause in his contract that said if he isn’t on the Leafs by the middle of November, he can bolt to the KHL. Not wanting to lose a decent enough prospect for nothing, the Leafs have recalled him.
The problem? He doesn’t deserve it. The Leafs have Kasperi Kapanen wasting away in the minors, and on their big league roster, they have Josh Leivo wasting away in the press box.
More from Editor In Leaf
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Healthy and Ready
- Ryan Reaves Will Have Zero Impact on Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
Furthermore, for every game this season in which they’ve dressed a healthy lineup, they’ve had either Connor Brown or Mitch Marner on the fourth line, which is not optimal, to say the least.
So welcome to the press box, Soshnikov. Meet you’re new best friend, Josh Leivo. And if you need some advice, I’m sure someone on the team has Frankie Corrado’s number.
Oh, yeah, in a corresponding move, the Leafs have returned Frederik Gauthier to the AHL.
What’s Next?
The Leafs are in a bit of a conundrum. Obviously it’s a bad idea to have players who aren’t playing. They get spent their whole lives to get to this point, and in the case of Corrado and Leivo, it seems pretty unfair – on a personal level – that they basically had to sit out close to a year of their primes.
On the other hand. This is the NHL. You’re getting paid more than me to watch games I’d sever my left foot to attend. And teams need depth. The game of hockey involves strapping razors to your feet and carrying a six foot spear while navigating ice at high speeds. It’s dangerous and people get injured.
It’s all well and good to trade an excess player just so he can get a shot, but what happens if suddenly a freak set of injuries occurs and you find yourself with Matt Martin on the second line and calling Europe to look for Lonny Bohonos jr.? You’re gonna wish you didn’t do the ‘right thing’ and trade Soshnikov to the Hurricanes for a 3rd round pick.
What I would do is look at moving out players like Rychel, Andreas Johnson, Soshnikov and Leivo for players who are a bit younger. The problem with this current set of guys is they’re now no longer eligible to go to the minors without being put on waivers, and the team is pretty packed.
Next: The Full Story on the Leafs Newest Hall of Fame Inductee
Best thing to do, in my opinion, is swap em out for some younger, waiver eligible guys. (Unless you can use them to sweeten the pot on a bigger trade). Otherwise, the writing is on the wall. Soshnikov and Leivo might be good NHL players, but probably not on the Toronto Maple Leafs.