Right when things were looking good for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev, he suffered an injury in the team’s last preseason game on Saturday night.
Ilya Mikheyev requested a trade during the offseason because he wanted more playing time. Instead of granting him that wish, the Toronto Maple Leafs gave him an opportunity to play on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
Since the last NHL preseason game is typically a dress rehearsal for the real thing and Mikheyev was still on that second line, it looked as if he was going to start the regular season there. However, midway through the game, Mikheyev suffered an injury and could be out “long-term.”
There’s never a good time to suffer an injury, but this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the 27-year-old.
As a pending UFA, this was a huge opportunity for Mikheyev to play alongside Tavares and Nylander every night and a big year could have been huge for his bank account. However, now that he could miss serious time, he may never win his spot back.
Toronto Maple Leafs Will Have to Juggle Lines
When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Michael Bunting this offseason, all indications were that he’d start on the first or second line. After scoring 10 goals in 21 games last season, Bunting showed serious offensive production, which would be handy beside two of the team’s core four forwards.
Although Bunting was very productive during the preseason, the team decided to give Mikheyev an opportunity in the top-six, rather than Bunting, but that could all change now.
Bunting slotted in on the team’s fourth line, but he’ll more than likely slide right into the second-line left-wing position, now that Mikheyev is injured. Bunting took less money to play in his hometown and this added role could just what he needed to make an impact for this hockey team.
Bunting is 26-years-old and has only played 26 career NHL games, but he’s never played with such talented players like Tavares or Nylander before. If the team slots him in Mikheyev’s role, there’s no doubting that he’ll be productive there.
With one year left on his contract, at $1.65M, Mikheyev’s job could be in jeopardy if Bunting plays well. Since Bunting only makes $900K, if he can play just as well as Mikheyev, if not better, on that second line, Mikheyev could be on his way out the door.
Mikheyev’s speed makes him a valuable player, but he could end up being a trade-chip if he’s out for a month or so and is completely forgotten.
You never want to see a player’s injury cost him a job, but professional sports can be cruel. If Bunting can step up to the plate during Mikheyev’s absence, Mikheyev could be on the outside looking in once he’s healthy again.