Toronto Maple Leafs: More Hype Warranted for Ilya Mikheyev

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a LOT of roster moves this summer.

If you turn over nearly half your roster – as the Toronto Maple Leafs have done this summer – then it’s understandable that one or two things might get lost in the shuffle.

In light of the extreme hype generated by Nikita Gusev, I think it’s time to revisit the Leafs signing of Ilya Mikheyev.

Mikheyev probably isn’t as good, but he is definitely worth being excited about.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Ilya Mikheyev

Mikheyev’s signing didn’t generate a lot of hype this summer, but maybe it should have.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that is going to need their cheap players to provide value, and I think they have a great chance of getting that out of Mikheyev.

A lot of people are comparing Gusev to Artemi Panarin, but he is already 27, and he is just coming to the NHL now.  Odds are, he’s going to really good, but if you look at the salary, the cost, and compare some stats, maybe the Leafs are better off with Mikheyev.

The Leafs signed Mikheyev to an entry-level deal worth $925 K for one season.  If he is successful, and the Leafs want to, they’ll have first crack at re-signing him because after this contract expires the 24 year-old will still be an RFA.

While Gusev led the KHL in scoring last year, Mikheyev was 21st with 24 goals and 45 points in 62 games (KHL.ru)

Mikheyev was also 10th in the KHL in goals, only seven away from the league lead.

The KHL seems to be a fairly low scoring league, and Mikheyev’s numbers are impressive.  He’s not in the same class as Gusev, but if you factor in age, strength of team, and consider goals slightly more impressive than assists, he doesn’t seem that far behind.

The Devils paid a second and a third to acquire Gusev, while the Leafs signed Mikheyev as a UFA, costing them no assets.

The Devils will pay a cap hit of $4.5 million for Gusev’s services, while the Leafs will get a player two year younger for just under 5 x less.

This is a great signing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Mikheyev has size, can play left wing, he can score, pass and is known as a good defender.   There are no advanced stats for the KHL that I am aware of, but the scouting reports make him sound like the strong possession players the Leafs tend to like.

You have to assume that the Leafs top line of Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander is pretty much set in stone (assuming Babcock is a sane human), but with Zach Hyman starting the year on the I.R, a left-wing spot with Tavares and Marner should be something that Mikheyev has a shot at.

He’s got the size edge over both Jeremy Bracco and Trevor Moore – who are the other two players expected to compete for the temporary (unless Hyman is traded) Job.

This is another solid move Kyle Dubas and should prove to be a very smart signing.