A few days ago, we covered reports stating that the Toronto Maple Leafs had made it clear to teams across the league that they would be open to trading the early negotiating rights to Ilya Mikheyev to any interested teams. Now, we have some more clarity on what those interested teams might look like. According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, there look to be many. Johnston reports that “as many as half the teams” in the NHL are expected to hold at least some interest in acquiring Mikheyev this summer, and adds that Mikheyev is looking for a deal “in the $4M range,” if not higher.
Such a vast level of interest in Mikheyev is not a complete surprise. The speedy, undrafted Russian winger scored 21 goals and 32 points in 53 games this season, bouncing back from an off 2020-21 during which he had only seven goals and 17 points in 54 games. While not the largest reason for each team’s success, both the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning feature premium middle-of-the-lineup players, and it’s likely that the teams interested in him consider him a “premium” middle-sixer.
The NHL is a “copycat” league, so it’s very possible that the playoff success of relatively comparable players such as Artturi Lehkonen or Nick Paul has grown Mikheyev’s market. The more teams that enter a bidding war for his services, the more likely Mikheyev is to earn the type of contract the desires. So if anything, Johnston’s reporting is great news for Mikheyev and his camp, and it could also be an early sign of the type of players who will be in high demand on July 13.
Now, for some other notes regarding Eastern Conference teams:
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