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The Toronto Maple Leafs quest for a Stanley Cup last season saw GM Kyle Dubas load up with veterans Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, and Nick Foligno as support players up front, but that was not something that Ilya Mikheyev welcomed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Leafs winger asked for a trade following the 2021 campaign.
Mikheyev saw his offensive numbers decrease to 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists) in 54 games and his role decrease to that of a third-line checker and penalty killer with Zach Hyman, Thornton, Simmonds, Alex Kerfoot and Foligno all playing wing at times in the top six.
Friedman indicated that neither Dubas or agent Dan Milstein commented on the report and that the Leafs would not accommodate the request since Mikheyev could see an increased role with Hyman, Foligno and Thornton gone and Kerfoot likely playing mostly center this season. The 26-year-old winger has one year remaining on his current deal at $1.645 million and is looking to put up big numbers in advance of negotiating a new deal, but there is reason for skepticism that “Soupman… is a good fit in as a top six compliment on the wing with either Auston Matthews or John Tavares.
In spite of his work ethic and hustle, Mikheyev has not been able to convert offensively on a consistent occasion and seems to be better fit in a primarily defensive role, but could get a chance at playing up in the lineup ahead of new additions Michael Bunting, Nick Ritchie or rookie Nick Robertson.
Friedman also reported that former Leaf Tyler Bozak is expected to make a decision on where he will play in the next few days. The 35-year-old center spent his first nine seasons in Toronto before signing with St. Louis in 2018 and winning a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.
The Leafs could be interested in Bozak if they are looking for center depth to allow Kerfoot to move to the wing in the top six. Pittsburgh is said to have interest in the veteran center, and Pens Team President Brian Burke signed Bozak as a free agent out of the University of Denver in 2009.
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The NHL’s two-tiered COVID rules will not have any effect on the Leafs according to Dubas, as he indicated on the Bob McCown Podcast that the club’s staff and roster are 100% vaccinated.
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Lot’s of â¤ï¸ for the 💙ðŸ¤
— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) April 26, 2021
Convo on Podcast.#theleafsconvo https://t.co/Xdn3CDLVCI
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