The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced they have re-signed free agent right wing Ilya Mikheyev to a two-year contract worth $3.29 million. The contract carries a salary-cap hit of $1.645 million. This contract carries him through the 2021-22season.
AAV is $1.645M https://t.co/8hUh4cE3vM
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 20, 2020
The Maple Leafs Re-Sign Ilya Mikheyev
Mikheyev has only played one season in the NHL and it was for the Maple Leafs. Mikheyev suffered a severe cut on his wrist on December 27, 2019, in a game against the New Jersey Devils. The injury forced him to miss the remainder 0f the regular season. The Russian rookie came back for the Maple Leafs during the qualifying round against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was held off the scoresheet in the five games he appeared in. During the 2019-20 season, Mikheyev recorded 23 points (eight goals and 15 assists) in 39 regular-season games.
What This Means for the Future
The fans were worried when Mikheyev filed for salary arbitration. But as the team and the 26-year old forward have come to an agreement, the Maple Leafs fan base has a lot to be excited for. Even coming back from a serious injury, Mikheyev has been a consistent player for Toronto. He is putting up 0.59 points-per-game in 39 games played. Playing between the second and third lines. Even though Mikheyev has been with the team for a short team he is beloved by the fans and media. Keeping Mikheyev around will make the Maple Leafs an even faster and more skilled team.
The 26-year old forward has a lot to show for himself. He has shown he is not afraid to work hard to earn his spot on the ice. Not to mention he is ready to learn and improve with every game. Mikheyev is also a great wildcard for the Maple Leafs as it will be a lot harder for teams to plan and prepare due to the lack of games to analyze.
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