Toronto Maple Leafs Give Mikheyev and Dermott Qualifying Offers

Ahead of the 5pm deadline today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have extended qualifying offers to Ilya Mikheyev and Travis Dermott.

According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, the Toronto Maple Leafs have handed qualifying offers to impending restricted free agents Ilya Mikheyev and Travis Dermott.

The Leafs have passed on giving Evan Rodrigues and former first-round pick Frederik Gauthier  qualifying offers and those players likely will not be back.

The qualifying offers for Mikheyev and Dermott, meanwhile, make the most sense as both players are likely to play key roles for the team next season.

Qualified And Unqualified Leafs, So Far

Dermott, who was selected by the Leafs in the second round (34th overall) of the 2015 Draft, is coming out of his entry-level contract that held an AAV of $863,333, which, according to CapFriendly, makes his qualifying offer $874,125 should he agree to sign it.

It’s more likely that the Leafs will hold contract talks with the 23-year-old Newmarket, Ontario native, in hopes of keeping him around for a longer term, while likely hoping to keep his cap hit low after some mixed performances since he stepped up to the NHL full-time.

Mikheyev’s qualifying offer would also be $874,125, according to CapFriendly, as QO’s are based on a player’s previous salary, not including signing bonuses, meaning that the Russian winger’s offer is based off of his previous base salary of $832,500.

The former KHL standout, who registered eight goals and 23 total points in 39 regular season games during his rookie campaign in Toronto, is expected to be given a longer extension by the organisation, with talks expected to continue until further developments occur. (Stats via Hockey Reference).

Both players qualified by the Leafs today are young, with the Russian turning 26 this Saturday, and can play significant minutes for the team next season, especially with a flat cap being imposed on the league due to the ongoing financial and economic difficulties.

As for Rodrigues, with his necessary offer of $2 million being far too much for a fourth line player but he may return on a reduced salary.  Gauthier, meanwhile, hasn’t shown enough to truly secure his spot on the NHL roster. He was a former first-round selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2013 and doesn’t offer enough to the team in any area.

He is touted as a physical, defensive forward but, despite standing at 6-foot-5, 236lbs, he doesn’t use his size effectively enough to be considered, even on a league minimum deal – something he had to accept when he signed his two-year extension with the club back in 2018.

Dubas is clearly looking to make some changes to the Leafs’ forward depth this off-season, with many complaints from fans over a perceived lack of depth scoring, and some of his recent moves should certainly see some new faces don the white and blue next season.

Mikheyev and Dermott, however, will be making a return and will likely be given chances to cement themselves as regulars in their respective positions, whereas Gauthier has had plenty of years to prove himself a legitimate NHL player.