Apparently, the Toronto Maple Leafs owe recently-signed Ilya Mikheyev a thank you. As per a report by Luke Fox of Sportsnet, Mikheyev’s agent Dan Milstein says that the recent contract his client signed, one that will see the Maple Leafs pay Mikheyev $1.645 million over the next two seasons, was done to help the team.
Related: Maple Leafs Agree to 2-Yr Deal With Ilya Mikheyev
The two sides were set to go to arbitration. As most often happens, things didn’t get to that point and terms of a new deal were agreed upon before the hearing was under way. It’s a win for both the team and the player for multiple reasons. It gives the player a two-year deal and some contract certainty, the Leafs keep under their cap and both sides avoid the arbitration process itself, which is not often amicable.
Before that process was set to begin, Mikheyev’s agent filed that his player would like to be paid $2.19 million for one year. It was a huge jump and not a realistic ask. But, that’s how arbitration works. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, filed a $1 million offer. Ultimately, the two sides settled for much lower than Mikheyev’s ask.
Milstein noted that Mikheyev intentionally backed off his target and that prior to the arbitration offers, both the team and the player had agreed to a number higher than what was eventually signed.
He explained:
“Ilya decided to step off a little bit from an already agreed number to help the team fit under the cap. For Ilya, it was less about the money, but more about the role in the organization. He wishes to win the Stanley Cup. It’s been a lifelong dream.”
The Leafs Communicated Mikheyev’s Role Moving Forward
The Maple Leafs were said to have talked to the player about where he fits on the roster — one that is winger-heavy. And, with Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson now gone, the expectation is that the player will get better opportunities.
They also talked to him about their need to stay under the cap and in both cases, the player felt comfortable and understood what the team was trying to accomplish.
At the end of the day, this two-year deal is an extended “show me” contract. If he plays well and produces as a healthy NHL regular, his next deal will be a lot more to his liking.
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