Arbitration could limit wiggle room
Generous award to Mikheyev might reduce financial flexibility
The Maple Leafs and forward Ilya Mikheyev should have their differences settled by the end of the week.
With an arbitration hearing set for Wednesday, the two sides have submitted their paperwork outlining their positions. Mikheyev is asking for a one-year, $2.7-million (U.S.) deal. The Leafs are arguing for a two-year, $2-million deal, according to Sportsnet.
The arbitrator can choose one or the other or come up with a third option — within 48 hours of the hearing — that likely would be binding. Since the player elected arbitration, the team may walk away from an arbiter’s decision if the average annual value of the deal is worth more than $4.5 million.
Of course, both sides can still continue to negotiate.
The Leafs don’t have a great deal of cap space, and still have to sign another restricted free agent, Travis Dermott, who does not have arbitration rights. The Leafs would probably be uncomfortable if Mikheyev won, leaving them less to offer Dermott.
A generous award to Mikheyev may mean demoting players to the minors to bury their salary, leaving the team short of extra skaters. Or it could mean trading Mikheyev, or another player, to save salary cap space.
On the weekend, Leafs GM
Kyle Dubas said he was confident the Mikheyev arbitration would work out favourably.
“Whether we have to go with a 20 men on the roster to start (instead of 23), or sending guys down to play for the Marlies rather than sitting out for us … it doesn’t appear that we’ll need to move anybody else out,” Dubas said on a conference call. “We’ve got the arbitration case with Mikheyev on Wednesday and then subsequently we’ll get Travis’s situation rectified and taken care of. But, at this point, we don’t anticipate having to move anybody out.”
In theory, the Leafs have $3.185 million in cap space with commitments to11forwards, six defencemen and two goalies, according to CapFriendly. That should be enough to sign both Mikheyev and Dermott, though it would mean the likes of Nick Robertson, Pierre Engvall and Rasmus Sandin wouldn’t be on the team.
Mikheyev scored eight goals and added 15 assists in his first season in the NHL, limited by a harrowing injury in which a skate blade cut the ligaments in his wrist. He was ineffective in the playoffs, with no points in five games despite playing frequently on the top lines. But his size, speed and shot make him a desirable player at age 26.
Arbitration is a bit about comparables: How much do players at a similar age and with similar experience earn in their second contracts?
One of the comparables is probably Engvall, who had eight goals and seven assists in 48 games at age 23. He will earn $1.25 million in 2020-21 in the first year of his second contract, if he plays in the NHL.
Another comparable could be Carter Verhaeghe, who has finished his rookie year at 25 and signed as a free agent with Florida at an average annual value of $1 million after scoring nine goals and four assists in 52 games in Tampa.
Another familiar name is 25year-old Trevor Moore. The exLeaf played 42 games with Toronto and Los Angeles. He had six goals and four assists. He will earn $775,000 in the second year of his second contract.