The Toronto Maple Leafs have made multiple changes to their roster already this offseason. They recently traded Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers and brought in Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a sign-and-trade. However, when looking at the Maple Leafs’ current roster, they should not be done yet.
The Maple Leafs will be looking to bounce back next season, especially after landing Gavin McKenna with this year’s first-overall pick. One area that the Maple Leafs should be looking to improve further is their forward depth.
Because of this, in a recent article for The Athletic, Jonas Siegel urged the Maple Leafs to reunite with Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev if he hits the free agent market on July 1.
“Why bring Mikheyev back for another go? The dude still has wheels, per NHL EDGE data, and the Leafs need more of that from a forward group that was slow and sluggish last season,” Siegel wrote. “Mikheyev left when the Leafs couldn’t pay him. There’s a case for him to return to where his NHL journey began.”
The idea of the Maple Leafs reuniting Mikheyev is certainly an interesting one. The 31-year-old winger is coming off back-to-back strong seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and would have the potential to be a solid addition to the Maple Leafs’ forward group if brought back to Toronto.
Where Mikheyev Could Fit in the Maple Leafs’ Lineup If Signed
When taking a gander at the Maple Leafs’ current roster, Mikheyev could be a strong fit on their third line due to his solid secondary scoring ability. His stats from this past season show this, as he scored 18 goals and recorded a career-high 36 points in 77 games.
This was after Mikheyev posted 20 goals and 34 points in 80 games with Chicago during the 2024-25 season. With numbers like these, he would certainly have the potential to chip in some much-needed depth scoring if signed.
However, Mikheyev provides his most value when it comes to his strong defensive play. Due to this, the 6-foot-2 forward would be a major pickup for the Maple Leafs’ penalty kill. The veteran winger was very effective on the Blackhawks’ penalty kill these last two seasons and could do the same for the Maple Leafs if signed.
Looking Back on Mikheyev’s Time With the Maple Leafs
Mikheyev played the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Maple Leafs from 2019-20 to 2021-22. He ended up being a nice part of the Maple Leafs’ roster over that span, as he posted 36 goals, 36 assists, 72 points, and a plus-28 rating in 146 games.
However, Mikheyev’s best season with the Maple Leafs was in his contract year in 2021-22. In 53 games with Toronto that season, he scored a career-high 21 goals and posted 32 points. This helped him land a four-year, $19 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2022 NHL Offseason.
It will be interesting to see if the Maple Leafs end up making a push for Mikheyev if he tests free agency. The fits look good on paper, but he would be a very popular target with this year’s UFA class being weak.
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