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Who Is The Best Player Currently Playing Outside The NHL?

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With Ivan Demidov recently joining the Montreal Canadiens, Alexander Nikishin joining the Hurricanes for practice, and Zeev Buium debuting with the Minnesota Wild, the list of top prospects playing outside the NHL has shrunk. This raises the question: Who is the top player in the world not playing in the NHL?

Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Josh Leivo tore up the KHL this season, setting a single-season goal record with 49. The 31-year-old also led the KHL scoring with 80 points in 62 games on his way to a career season, and at one point had four hat tricks in a month.

Leivo is no stranger to the NHL, having played 265 career games over 10 seasons, tallying 42 goals and 51 assists. The Innisfil, Ontario, native last played in the NHL during the 2022-23 season, scoring four goals and adding 12 assists in 51 games with the St. Louis Blues. Since then, Leivo has posted elite numbers in the KHL, but it would be challenging to anoint him as the top player outside the NHL, especially since this was the first season in which he’s played at that level.

Vladimir Tkachev is another KHL star who could make a case for being the best player in the world currently outside of the NHL. The 29-year-old had a cup of coffee in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2021-22 season, chipping in two helpers in four games. At the AHL level, Tkachev had seven goals and 22 assists in 41 games with the Ontario Reign that season, before returning to Russia.

Since linking up with Avangard Omsk of the KHL, Tkachev has been an elite scorer, posting a better-than-a-point-per-game average, including last year, when he registered 20 goals and 55 assists in 58 games. This past year, Tkachev missed seven months after suffering a ruptured Achilles and played in just four games. At 29, Tkachev is what he is in his bid to be the best player outside of the NHL. Still, given that his sample size from last season is so small, and he only has one elite professional season under his belt, it is hard to anoint him as the holder of that title now.

Regarding goaltenders outside the NHL, Sharks prospect Yaroslav Askarov is as good as it gets. The 11th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has had a terrific AHL career thus far and was dominant this season, posting a .923 save percentage with four shutouts in 22 games. Askarov was a highly touted prospect before being drafted, drawing comparisons to Carey Price. He has good size, tracks the puck well, and has terrific athleticism. He is also very calm in the crease, which explains the comparisons to Price.

Askarov has all the makings of a franchise goalie, but at 22, he has yet to break through to the NHL full-time. He did play well in 13 NHL games this season, registering 1.7 goals saved above expected (as per MoneyPuck), and should leap full-time next year. Which begs the question: Is he the best player outside the NHL? The answer is probably no, but he should be included in the conversation. It won’t be long until he plays NHL hockey full-time, and if he establishes his game at the same time as the Sharks’ other top prospects, he could do some pretty remarkable things in San Jose.

The next name that comes to mind is another former NHLer, Nikita Gusev. The 32-year-old Gusev had a solid rookie season with New Jersey back in 2019-2020, posting 13 goals and 31 assists in 66 games. However, he followed it up with a subpar 2020-21 season, which led him to leave the NHL for the KHL. Since departing for Russia, Gusev has been a point-per-game player, even setting a new KHL single-season scoring record with 89 points in 68 games during the 2023-24 season. Given his consistency in recent seasons, a strong case could be made that Gusev is the top player in the world currently playing outside of the NHL until we discuss the last name on the list.

For many people, the first name that comes to mind is 17-year-old Gavin McKenna, and for good reason. McKenna is the projected first overall pick in 2026 and just finished a phenomenal season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, producing 41 goals and 88 assists in 56 games. McKenna has another season in junior hockey before he is drafted, and he will no doubt draw comparisons not just to recent first-overall selections Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, but also to a decade-defining talent like Connor McDavid, as well.

While he undoubtedly has the highest upside of any player currently playing outside of the NHL, it’s hard to say he is the definitive number one, but it is also hard to dispute it. He isn’t playing against men yet, and all the other players are competing in professional hockey in the world’s second- or third-best leagues. The comparison isn’t exactly apples to apples, but there can’t be one.

The debate likely comes down to Gusev and McKenna for being the best in the world outside the NHL. While the title is unofficial, it was previously held by Gusev before he made the move to the NHL. However, given McKenna’s historic season, he has completed arguably one of the best seasons ever in the CHL for a 17-year-old, and he makes the best case for the best player in the world outside of the NHL.

Josh Leivo Signs With KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa

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Salavat Yulaev Ufa of Russia’s KHL announced today they’ve signed winger Josh Leivo for the 2023-24 season. Reports out of Sweden emerged earlier this month that Leivo was close to signing with SHL club MoDo Hockey, but those discussions obviously fell through.

This will be Leivo’s first season overseas after appearing in NHL games in each of the last ten seasons. Now 30, the Ontario native has seen a fair bit of playing time in both the NHL and AHL since the Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft. He would turn pro full-time with the Maple Leafs and AHL Marlies in 2013-14 and was a highly productive AHL player for three seasons before becoming more of a mainstay on the NHL roster – although, famously, that didn’t translate into much playing time. Under then-head coach Mike Babcock, Leivo would play in just 56 games for Toronto over the course of three seasons from 2016 to 2019 despite rarely seeing any AHL assignments, spending most of his time sitting as a healthy scratch.

After finding himself in the minors for nearly all of 2021-22, Leivo once again returned to the NHL ranks on a more consistent basis last season with the St. Louis Blues. He made 51 appearances in a bottom-six role compared to just two games for AHL Springfield. Leivo gave the Blues some solid production in the process, recording four goals and 12 assists for 16 points – his highest total since he notched 19 points in 36 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2019-20.

The Blues didn’t offer Leivo a contract at season’s end, however, and he hit the unrestricted free-agent market on July 1. They looked to replace his role internally, giving more playing time to younger talents such as Nikita Alexandrov and Alexey Toropchenko while also bringing back some familiar faces via free agency in Mackenzie MacEachern and Oskar Sundqvist.

He now makes the jump to Ufa, where he could line up alongside one-time teammate Nikolai Kulemin, whose last season in Toronto was 2013-14 – the same year Leivo made his NHL debut. Ufa is off to a 3-2-0 start to their season thanks to four goals and six points from San Jose Sharks prospect Sasha Chmelevski. They also are playing with heavy hearts this season after retiring Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov’s number 27 at the beginning of the season – he passed away from a brain tumor this summer at the age of 21.

Josh Leivo Linked To SHL

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Despite appearing in 51 NHL games last season, former St. Louis Blues forward Josh Leivo could be continuing his pro career overseas.

According to a report from Örnsköldsviks Allehanda’s Matthias Persson, the SHL’s newly promoted MoDo Hockey is looking to sign Leivo before their season starts in less than two weeks.

It’d be a somewhat surprising move for Leivo to sign overseas since the 30-year-old has played 265 career NHL games and spent the entirety of his pro career either in the NHL or AHL.

Leivo’s first full-time NHL campaign came in 2017-18 and he only returned to the AHL many years later, in 2021-22, signing a contract to play for the Chicago Wolves.

Leivo was wildly successful in Chicago, winning a Calder Cup championship and the league’s playoff MVP award after leading the postseason in scoring. In total, Leivo played in 72 games for the Wolves combining the regular season and playoffs and scored 75 points.

That strong AHL performance landed Leivo a role back in the NHL with the Blues, and he ended up scoring 16 points in 51 games. While it’s possible that Leivo could hold out for the kind of PTO offer many players have signed over the past two weeks, it’s also possible that the stability of playing in the SHL could be appealing.

MoDo play in Örnsköldsvik, a legendary hockey town that has produced numerous NHL stars, such as the Sedin twins, Peter Forsberg, and Victor Hedman. MoDo, the local pro club, won the HockeyAllsvenskan championship last season and earned a promotion to the SHL, Sweden’s top league.

If he signs in Örnsköldsvik, Leivo will join another former Toronto Maple Leaf on the roster, Latvian international Kristians Rubins, as well as former Colorado Avalanche forward Sampo Ranta and American blueliner Daniel Brickley, who Leivo played with in Chicago.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Blues, Schenn, Bally Sports

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The St. Louis Blues had a resounding win last night over the Florida Panthers, but it came at a cost. Both forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Torey Krug left the game with injuries, and they could be without both tomorrow against the New Jersey Devils, says head coach Craig Berube.

Berube confirmed Saad, who’s dealing with an upper-body injury, will miss the game. Krug is questionable with a lower-body injury. Both players have already missed chunks of the season with injuries, contributing to the Blues’ mediocre record. Saad’s injury opens the door for veteran Josh Leivo, who has four goals and 13 points in 38 games, to step into a top-six role for the time being. Neither Saad nor Krug have a timeline for their injuries, although Krug’s is obviously a short-term absence.

  • Despite other hot-commodity defensemen being scratched for asset protection, Vancouver Canucks defender Luke Schenn doesn’t expect the same treatment. Schenn told reporters that he “expects to be playing every night” ahead of the March 3 trade deadline, despite multiple teams having reported interest in the stay-at-home defenseman. The 33-year-old has 18 points and a +5 rating in 53 games this season.
  • The NHL Board of Governors had an emergency meeting today to discuss the financial struggles of Bally Sports Network’s parent group, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Diamond Sports, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, operates the Bally Sports umbrella of regional sports networks that broadcasts the home games of many U.S.-based teams. Today, they skipped a debt payment of $140MM as the organization nears bankruptcy. A potential sudden, unexpected lack of TV revenue is certainly a bit of financial concern for the league.

St. Louis Blues Make Several Roster Moves

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The St. Louis Blues are one of the worst teams in the NHL right now, losers of eight straight and sitting with just six points on the year. As they prepare for tomorrow’s game against the San Jose Sharks, they’ve made several roster changes.

Logan Brown has been moved to injured reserve with an upper-body injury after taking a big hit and leaving last night’s game. There is no timeline yet to suggest how long he will be out but an IR placement means at least seven days. Jake Neighbours is also off the roster, this time assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

Neighbours, 20, played a season-low 8:28 last night and once again failed to even record a shot on goal. The young forward has just one point on the season through 11 games, and seems to need some time in the minor leagues to get his offensive performance on the rails again.

In their places, the Blues have recalled Nikita Alexandrov and Josh Leivo from Springfield. The moves will give them a bit of a different look, though it’s unclear where exactly they will fit into the lineup.

Leivo, 29, has already played three games for the Blues this season, failing to record a point in limited ice time. The veteran forward has 217 NHL games under his belt and set a career-high with 14 goals and 24 points in 2018-19.

Alexandrov, on the other hand, would be making his NHL debut if he gets into the St. Louis lineup. The 22-year-old forward was a second-round pick in 2019 and had 30 points in 67 games for Springfield last season. This year he’s been a force, with eight in nine, and looks ready to be tested at the higher level.

St. Louis Blues Activate Pavel Buchnevich

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The St. Louis Blues announced that they have activated forward Pavel Buchnevich off of IR today. As a result, the team has also sent forward Josh Leivo to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. Buchnevich had missed the previous five games after suffering a lower-body injury on opening night. The team is set to take on the Montreal Canadiens at home this evening.

Though Buchnevich’s injury wasn’t too serious, a return today is a bit surprising. Word had been out that Buchnevich could be nearing a return, but as Blues head coach Craig Berube told reporters earlier, including Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the return could be as soon as Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. Evidently, that return will come tonight against Montreal. That return can’t come soon enough for St. Louis too, who is 3-3-0 on the young season, but has lost their last three games.

Always a solid point-producer, Buchnevich broke out during the shortened 2021-22 season, recording 48 points in 54 games with the New York Rangers. That offseason, New York sent Buchnevich to the Blues for forward Sammy Blais and a second-round draft pick. The 27-year-old did not disappoint in his first season with St. Louis either, scoring 30 goals along with 46 assists over 73 games.

Leivo, 29, is in his first season with the Blues organization after signing a one-year deal with St. Louis this summer. The veteran forward played in just seven NHL games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, but did have a terrific year with the Chicago Wolves, their AHL affiliate, contributing 46 points in 54 games. Leivo has yet to play an AHL game in 2022-23, but has played three games with the Blues to start.

St. Louis Blues Recall Jake Neighbours, Josh Leivo

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After sending them down yesterday to submit a cap-compliant opening night roster, the St. Louis Blues have recalled forwards Josh Leivo and Jake Neighbours ahead of the team’s season opener on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Neighbours is attempting to stick in the NHL full-time this season after receiving a nine-game trial in 2021-22. One of the team’s best prospects, the 20-year-old Neighbours can be a dominant power forward at times and is coming off a Memorial Cup appearance with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Neighbours will now be able to be sent to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds if he can’t stick in the NHL, rather than having to return to junior hockey. He’s slated to make his season debut along with the rest of the team on Saturday, likely playing alongside Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev.

Leivo is also expected to play Saturday as Logan Brown is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. A new addition to the Blues organization, Leivo had three points in seven games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes and was dominant in the playoffs with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves en route to a Calder Cup championship, scoring 29 points in just 18 games. With over 200 games of NHL experience, Leivo is a fine fill-in on the team’s fourth line and could make a case for himself to stay up with the team longer-term, albeit if it’s just as a healthy scratch. It wouldn’t be a new experience for him, infamously playing just 16 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017-18 under then-head coach Mike Babcock despite being healthy and on the active roster virtually all season long.

St. Louis Blues Sign Perunovich, Five Others

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The St. Louis Blues have announced six contracts, including a new one for restricted free agent Scott Perunovich. The 23-year-old defenseman has agreed to a one-year, one-way contract for next season.

The team has also signed Josh Leivo to a one-year, one-way contract, while Anthony Angello, Matthew Highmore, and Dylan McLaughlin are all coming aboard on one-year, two-way contracts. Nathan Walker has agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2023-24.

Perunovich will be earning just $750K according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, a number that leaves a lot of room for surplus value. The young defenseman has shown top-four NHL ability but hasn’t been able to stay healthy long enough to establish himself as a full-time option. Since signing in 2020, he has just 43 games of professional experience. Seven of those came this spring in the playoffs for St. Louis, where he recorded four points despite averaging fewer than 11 minutes a game. That’s the kind of offensive upside he brings, able to contribute even in a limited role.

With no arbitration rights, there wasn’t much leverage that Perunovich had at this point. The fact that he is still waiver-exempt also likely played into the negotiation, as his qualifying offer would have come with a higher salary ($874K) but would have been two-way, giving him much less if he ends up in the AHL. Agreeing to the one-way deal guarantees him the $750K and likely helps him stay in the NHL, as he’ll carry a lower cap hit for the Blues to navigate.

Leivo, meanwhile is coming in on a $750K contract according to John Matisz of theScore, after leading the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup this year. The 29-year-old forward had seemingly established himself as an NHL regular before 2021-22 but ended up in the AHL and made the most of it. With 29 points in 18 playoff games, Leivo was named playoff MVP and now has another chance to show he is too good for the minor leagues. In 214 NHL games, he has 38 goals and 77 points.

Walker actually played in 30 games for the Blues this season, easily the longest NHL stint of his career. He even had eight goals and 12 points during that time and dressed in four playoff games. While he won’t be making a huge impact, extending him now suggests he’s a valued part of the organization that the team doesn’t want to see hit free agency next summer.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Leivo, Place Niederreiter On IR

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The Carolina Hurricanes have moved Nino Niederreiter to injured reserve, recalling Josh Leivo to take his place on the roster.

Niederreiter is dealing with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss another little while as he recovers. The veteran forward last played on October 29, leaving that game against the Chicago Blackhawks early. He still isn’t practicing with the team, though it’s not clear exactly how long he’ll be out. His placement on injured reserve can be retroactive to his last game, so he will be eligible to return whenever he’s healthy enough to do so.

Leivo meanwhile had been playing at the AHL level for the first time since 2016-17 this season, suiting up for three contests with the Chicago Wolves. Though never a full-time NHL option, he has played more than 200 games to this point including 38 last season with the Calgary Flames. Armed with an impressive shot and some offensive upside, the 6’2″ forward could be used in a variety of ways by the Hurricanes if inserted into the lineup.

39 Players Clear Waivers

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Oct 11: Barre-Boulet, Brooks, Brown, and Jonsson-Fjallby were all claimed, but the other 39 players cleared and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Oct 10: On the final day to waive players before opening-night rosters are due, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports these 43 players have been placed on waivers:

F Sam Carrick (ANA)
D Jacob Larsson (ANA)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (BUF)
D Eric Gelinas (CAR)
D Maxime Lajoie (CAR)
F Josh Leivo (CAR)
F Stefan Noesen (CAR)
F C.J. Smith (CAR)
D Gabriel Carlsson (CBJ)
D Mikko Lehtonen (CBJ)
F Kevin Stenlund (CBJ)
G Collin Delia (CHI)
G Malcolm Subban (CHI)
D Jacob MacDonald (COL)
D Alexander Petrovic (DAL)
F Riley Barber (DET)
F Taro Hirose (DET)
D William Lagesson (EDM)
F Kyle Turris (EDM)
D Lucas Carlsson (FLA)
G Christopher Gibson (FLA)
D Austin Strand (LAK)
F Austin Wagner (LAK)
F Frederik Gauthier (NJD)
G Connor Ingram (NSH)
F Michael McCarron (NSH)
F Andrew Agozzino (OTT)
D Nick Seeler (PHI)
F Alex Barre-Boulet (TBL)
D Fredrik Claesson (TBL)
D Andrej Sustr (TBL)
F Adam Brooks (TOR)
F Justin Bailey (VAN)
D Madison Bowey (VAN)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe (VAN)
D Travis Hamonic (VAN)
F Sven Baertschi (VGK)
F Patrick Brown (VGK)
F Gage Quinney (VGK)
G Zachary Fucale (WSH)
F Garrett Pilon (WSH)
D Nelson Nogier (WPG)
F Dominic Toninato (WPG)

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