After Tony DeAngelo, Matt Grzelcyk and Andrew Mangiapane all signed new contracts before their hearings this week, the arbitration schedule will be kicked off on Wednesday with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the two sides have exchanged filings. The Maple Leafs have filed for a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $1MM, while Mikheyev’s camp has filed for a one-year, $2.7MM contract. It is important to remember that in the NHL, the arbitrator does not need to choose one filing or the other and usually instead awards a contract somewhere in the middle. The two sides can also come to an agreement in the coming days, though this year once the hearing begins they must wait for the reward and cannot settle while the arbitrator deliberates.
After moving out $6.6MM in the form of Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson the Maple Leafs are actually in a fine position to afford Mikheyev’s arbitration result and re-sign restricted free agent Travis Dermott. The bargain-bin shopping of GM Kyle Dubas resulted in low-cost additions of Wayne Simmonds, Jimmy Vesey, Zach Bogosian and Joe Thornton, meaning they aren’t in quite the salary cap pickle as they were a year ago. Remember that when Mikheyev and Dermott are signed, two other players can be sent to the minors (or junior, in the case of Nick Robertson) to clear up that extra room.
The hearing for Mikheyev will be interesting though, given how little experience the 26-year-old has at the NHL level. Signed out of the KHL in 2019, Mikheyev was a revelation for the Maple Leafs early on, recording eight goals and 23 points while providing strong penalty killing. He regularly saw time playing beside John Tavares and looked well on his way to becoming a valuable middle-six option for the team. Unfortunately, Mikheyev suffered a scary wrist injury in late-December. New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt’s skate came up and sliced Mikheyev’s arm, severing tendons and causing the Russian forward to require immediate surgery.
Though he did return for the Maple Leafs short-lived postseason, he failed to score a single point against the Columbus Blue Jackets and now heads into arbitration with just 23 points in 44 career NHL games. Since these hearings are based on actual production, not potential, it’s likely that the Maple Leafs will get a bargain relative to what he could have demanded had the injury never have occurred.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Ilya Mikheyev’s camp: “Here’s what we need, KD.”
KD: “Really?! That’s funny, now, be serious, what do you *really* need?”
Ilya Mikheyev’s camp: “10% more than we just told you!”
KD: “Good one, Randy! How’s about taking league minimum and calling it a day?”
Ilya Mikheyev’s camp: “Grrrrrrrr!”
KD: “Well, that went well! Time to get ready for my hit on OverDrive!”
Give me a break this guy thinks he is worth 2.7 a year come on is he baked… Sign for a million go out and score 20 put up 55 pts. Then come back and talk 2.5 area a year but not after 23 pts in 44 games.. Come on is he the next big thing in TO…. LOL
He probably saw Dubas overpay everybody else and he wants in on it as well. He’s a good player but I think you’re right, 2.7 is a bit too much at this point in his career.
Or…with arbitration being as it is, he knew the Leads would come in with a low number, so he came in with a high number, and both sides can be satisfied with something in between. 2 years, 1.75 per year is still a cheap contract for him and that’s my guess where it ends up.
While I don’t like it and think it’s an overpay, most contracts these days work out to roughly $100,000 a point.
So, it’s not crazy for his agent to ask for it.
He scores 20 and 55 your gonna be looking at 5 mil a year not 2.5
They paid Simmonds 1.5 he’s better
The Leafs are in fine position cap wise to sign Mikheyev & Dermott? They have $1,469,800 in cap space. I wouldn’t call that a fine position. That is a position where you have to either send someone down or move someone out
And send Sandin and Robertson down, freeing up another 1.7 million. That’s 3.1 million to sign Dermott and Mikheyev without doing anything drastic.
1yr/1.5 Dude is nuts if he thinks he’s getting over 2.