maple leafs

Rest and recuperating before playoffs, Leafs pursuing KHLer Kuzmenko?

Apr 28, 2022 • 8:42 am

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are biding their time until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs next week and between now and then, rest and potentially holding out some players from the final regular-season game against Boston on Friday are at the top of the club’s agenda.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated on Wednesday that the club will practice prior to their season finale vs. the Bruins and again over the weekend, with it still up in the air whether their first-round series with Tampa Bay or Boston starts on Monday or Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.

"We'll practice (Thursday) and then again on Sunday. Those two days are really important, we haven't had practice time for quite a while now and when we have it's been very brief, so we'll have to maximize that." Keefe said. "You just want to stay sharp in the game, and most importantly, get out of it healthy, but you have to play the game. You have to get through the practices and you have to be ready to play at a high level. So we can't take our foot off the gas in that sense."

Toronto has the advantage of finishing out the regular season and starting the best-of-seven series at home, giving them the advantage of more time to rest and recuperate. Keefe said he has not determined what he will do in terms of a lineup on Friday, which could also be meaningless to the Bruins if they lose to Buffalo or the Lightning win in Columbus on Thursday.

"Players are all in different spots in terms of how they're feeling, so today was a good day for those that want to get on the ice and get some work and those that want to just keep their work off the ice we're able to do that," Keefe said. "We have a pretty good sense of what we'll do (against Boston), but didn't have those conversations with any of the players."

Jake Muzzin indicated that he felt good after playing more than 20 minutes in the 3-0 win over Detroit, and hinted that he will play against Boston after missing almost two weeks down the stretch with an undisclosed injury. Jack Campbell said he is ready to play on Friday if called upon, but it is very possible that backup Erik Kallgren gets the start.

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While the Leafs organization is focused on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, GM Kyle Dubas also has an eye on the European free agent market that has brought them players like Nikita Zaitsev and Ilya Mikheyev over the last few years.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko will be holding zoom interviews with NHL clubs after the Under-18 World Championships in Germany. The 26-year-old winger led SKA St. Petersburg in scoring with a career-high 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) and 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 16 playoff games and up to 20 teams have shown interest.

Kuzmenko is reportedly looking for an NHL opportunity to play a significant role and is represented by agent Daniel Milstein, who has also represented Mikheyev, 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov and former Leafs Zaitsev, Mikko Lehtonen, Igor Ozhiganov, and Alexander Barabanov.

Although nothing has been determined and anything is possible depending on what happens with Toronto in the playoffs, it appears unlikely that the Leafs will be able to afford to re-sign Mikheyev coming off his first 20-goal season.

GM Kyle Dubas has an excellent history with Milstein and his clients, either giving them an opportunity with the Leafs or finding a home where they can thrive. With the potential of Mikheyev leaving, Kuzmenko could see Toronto as a good place to play with top-end talent on a one-year entry-level contract as a springboard to a long-term deal.