Mikheyev's salary demands have gone from lofty to completely insane
It has been well known that Game 7 against Tampa was likely the last game Ilya Mikheyev played for the Leafs. It was reported last week that the Leafs were shopping his rights and now his agent has confirmed his asking price for a new contract.
Finishing up his recent contract, which paid him $1.65M per season over 2 years, Mikheyev scored at a 30-goal, 50-point pace this year and elevated his game in all aspects. Mikheyev was more confident this year with the puck and was much improved defensively. It was expected that Mikheyev would want a substantial raise this summer, but it wasn't expected to be as high as his agent has confirmed that it is.
Pierre LeBrun confirmed that Mikheyev's agent Dan Milstein said his client is looking for a multi-year deal worth between $4.75 and $5.5M per season. That contract is far too rich for Mikheyev given the fact that he has had health issues in 2 of his 3 NHL seasons, and the one full season he did play, it was a significant disappointment. He was, at times, a very good player for the Leafs, but even if they had the cap space to give him that kind of deal, it would be an overpayment, based on how he has performed as a Leaf.
