Mikheyev and the Leafs have a pretty big gap in their asks in negotiations

With Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas confirming on a Zoom call over the weekend that he was all but finished adding to his roster for the upcoming season, we're beginning to get a clearer picture of what an opening night roster might look like for the Leafs. There are two remaining question marks, however, in Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev, who are both RFA's and in need of contracts.

Dubas did make mention of Dermott over the weekend, but only briefly, and just to confirm that a deal for the high-energy, puck-moving defenseman would likely have to wait until after Mikheyev's arbitration hearing.

Mikheyev, 26, had a stellar 2019-20 campaign, prior to going down with an injury (skate laceration) last December against the New Jersey Devils, halting his production at 23 points through 39 games with the Leafs. Mikheyev was on the cusp of returning to the lineup prior to the pause in action due to COVID-19, but obviously, he never got the chance, and what we saw in the postseason was merely a shadow of the player and not at all indicative of his skill set.

With all of this in mind, it has been somewhat difficult for both sides during negotiations on a new contract. The player is looking to be paid on projections (.59 PPG, or a 48-point pace) and, naturally, the team wants to pay him for what he was, in the end.. a 23-point forward who played just 39 games.

Situations like these are the reason that the NHL has an arbitration process. Though Dubas was admittedly surprised that Mikheyev had elected to go this route, he also accepts that it's just a part of the process as the two sides continue to engage in discussions ahead of Mikheyev's Oct 21st arbitration date.

So what is the gap between the two sides? Well, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Toronto is proposing a two-year deal at $1M per season, while the Mikheyev camp is countering with a one-year, $2.7M ask.

It's really anyone's guess how the arbitrator will rule on this one, but, for obvious reasons, the Leafs are hoping the result will be much, much lower than the ask.

It is worth noting that, historically, arbitration cases tend to look at total points and total games played when determining a fair outcome, and not points-per-game or other various types of projections. Obviously, this scenario does not favor Mikheyev. Still, we will have to wait and see how this one unfolds.

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