Where will Ilya Mikheyev Land?

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It is no secret that Ilya Mikheyev has most likely priced himself out of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s organization. He is reportedly asking $4.5 million for four to five years, forcing him into the open market. The question is, what time will offer him a contract, and how will the Maple Leafs fill that void?

Washington Capitals:

The Washington Capitals are a team that has a bit more salary-cap flexibility due to Nik Backstrom’s trip to LTIR. The reason why I feel he would be a good fit for the Capitals is that he brings a speed-filled game and has a lot of offensive ability as we saw this year with the Maple Leafs. He can slot into the top six and use his pace of play to complement their forwards, he also can inject some life into the team as the core there is getting older. Mikheyev also could be drawn to the Capitals because of Alexander Ovechkin, the Russian tie that they both have, and the chance to play with one of the best Russian hockey players ever could be a good incentive to sign with them.

Detroit Red Wings:

The Red Wings are a team that appears to be on the rise, they have spent years rebuilding through the draft and are now at a similar point as the Los Angeles Kings are at, they need to add experience. Ilya Mikheyev fits that mould, he has experience in the NHL and has the skill to be a key piece for the next few years, playing alongside some of the younger players there such as Lucas Raymond. Detroit also has the cap space to sign Mikheyev to a deal that he is looking for, it has been reported that the Red Wings are in a position to look to add via free agency, and this signing makes sense. If they can use Mikheyev to help in the top-six and also on the penalty kill, he could be a role player for younger players to learn from.

Columbus Blue Jackets:

The Blue Jackets are also in the class of the Los Angeles Kings and the Detroit Red Wings, they are a team that is on the cusp of playoff contention and need to add a few players to help bolster their forward group. The Blue Jackets are a fast team that plays hard and that fits with Mikheyev, he has a ton of speed, plays hard, and can be a good special teams player for his club. Columbus needs some assistance in the special team’s area, and that is why I feel they should pursue a guy like Ilya Mikheyev. Of course, it isn’t just for the PK that I feel he could fit, I think he could slide alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand on the second line and whomever the center will be and put up a very similar if not better stat-line than he did this past season with the Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets are a team that can afford Mikheyev’s asking price and can accept where his term request is, although he is 27 years old, he can still be a key piece to their team for the next four or so years.

How will the Maple Leafs fill that void?

It seems like an easy solution, try, and re-sign Ilya Mikheyev, but that is very unlikely, so how do the Maple Leafs fill his spot? Of course, you can look at the open market and try to sign a player for less to put on your 3rd line and score 40 points per season. Or you can also look internally and re-sign and use Ondrej Kase on your 3rd line alongside Kampf and Engvall who found success last year, or you use Nick Robertson. Robertson is ready for his full-time shot at the NHL and placing on a 3rd line where he can be the main option seems like a no-brainer for the style of player he is. There are also lineup adjustments that could see Kase and Robertson switch between the 2nd and 3rd line. I just feel that although Ilya Mikheyev was productive for the Maple Leafs, you don’t need to go out and sign a player to fill a spit on your 3rd line, when you can use players who make less than $2,000,000, which allows you to allocate more money to other areas of need like goaltending.