Mikheyev injury changes outlook
As Morgan Rielly and John Tavares suggested the Maple Leafs are ready for the regular season to begin, their final win of the pre-season — 4-1 over Ottawa on Saturday night — came with a price.
It appears winger Ilya Mikheyev will be lost for some time after a hand injury in a firstperiod fall.
“We’ll know more on Monday, but it’s not looking like it’s going to be short-term,” coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “It’s a big loss, and he’s had a great camp. He’s a great player for us.”
Two seasons ago, Mikheyev suffered torn tendons and required surgery on his right wrist.
On Saturday, Mikheyev didn’t finish the game after he fell to the ice awkwardly following an uncalled cross-check from Ottawa defenceman Dillon Heatherington along the boards.
“I really hope it’s nothing major,” Tavares said of Mikheyev. “I know how determined he is to ... continue to grow his game and make a bigger impact. We love his attitude, his work ethic, the type of person he is. He’s just getting more and more comfortable in his own skin here.”
Tavares, Rielly, Nick Ritchie and Pierre Engvall scored as Toronto finished the pre-season with a 5-1-0 record in games exclusively against Ottawa and Montreal. Goalie Jack Campbell got the win.
“We’re ready to rock,” said Rielly. “It’s time to put it behind us and start playing for real.”
It was a game in which fans got a sneak peek at a Leafs roster that was just a healthy Auston Matthews away from the real thing.
Outside of David Kämpf centring Mitch Marner and Ritchie, and Jason Spezza centring the fourth line, Keefe sounded before the game as if this is the team he’ll go with when the puck drops for real Wednesday night against Montreal.
But the Mikheyev injury mixed the lines and now could have an effect on roster spots. He had been slotted in for a second-line role, which now could end up going to Michael Bunting.
The Leafs have until 5 p.m. Monday to get under the $81.5million (U.S.) salary cap. So, who sat out Saturday may have been more telling than who played. Defenceman Timothy Liljegren and forwards Kirill Semyonov, Adam Brooks and Michael Amadio were healthy scratches.
While teams are allowed 23 on the roster, the Leafs can only fit 21 under the restrictive cap — though Mikheyev’s injury could change the equation. If placed on long-term injured reserve – meaning he’d miss at least 10 games and 24 days — his $1.645million cap hit might save a job or two for now.
“Some decisions, frankly, are controlled by the salary cap,” Keefe said. “But the situation now changes, depending on what happens with the Mikheyev situation.”
Waiving a veteran player to move him comes with risk.
“That’s part of our reality,” said Keefe.
Liljegren and Semyonov can be sent to the AHL’s Marlies without waivers. Brooks and Amadio would need to be put on waivers Sunday.