It is reported that almost half the league is looking into trading for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev this offseason. The 27-year old has garnered quite a lot of attention after a good 2021-22 campaign in which he has 21 goals and 11 assists.
Mikheyev will become an unrestricted free agent on July 13 of this year but the question is, are there any teams which are interested in acquiring his rights to get the inside track on agreeing a deal with him?
The simple answer is yes. Mikheyev has shown tremendous growth over the past couple of years in Toronto, setting career highs in both goals and assists last season and also notching his first playoff points. Ilya is known for being a fast, versatile and solid two-way player that would be an asset on many teams. Given he has a bright future ahead of him, he would be a great pickup for any team looking to round out their sister with a young and diversely talented player.
It is rumoured that Mikheyev is looking for a deal which is worth around $4 million per season. His past two years as a Leaf netted him an average annual salary of $1.645 million. Given how much he’s improved however, the bump in salary likely won’t be too much of deterrent.
Other Maple Leafs Trade Rumours
A few other rumours have begun to seep into the Maple Leafs rumour mill as of late but haven’t been backed by facts as of yet. One of the bigger rumours is that Maple Leafs’ starting goalie Jack Campbell might end up with Zach Hyman in Edmonton? There might be some basis to the claims as both have made it clear they would like to make it deep into the postseason and the Oilers will be looking good next season to do so.
Another possible but farfetched rumour is that the Leafs are looking to sign Claude Giroux. The 34 year old is one of the most sought after veterans in the league right now. After being sent to Florida at the trade deadline last year, Giroux will likely be looking for a permanent home and the Leafs could be a good spot to land.
If there’s any chance Toronto will sign him this summer, they will need to give up a player with a significant contract. Our guess would be someone like William Nylander. Their contract would likely be around the same price, opening up the cap space to pick up Giroux without losing too much.
