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Hey! Thanks for watching :) Please subscribe to my channel: Elite Prospects: Ilya Andreyevich Mikheyev (Russian: Илья Андреевич Михеев) (born 10 October 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Mikheyev started his career in the school of Avangard Omsk. In 2012 he started playing in the youth team Omskie Yastreby in the MHL. In 2013 he won the Kharlamov Cup with his team. In the 2013–14 season he started playing for Yermak Angarsk, the farm team of Avangard in the VHL. in the next seasons he also played for Sokol Krasnoyarsk and Saryarka Karagandy, that time farm teams of Avangard, in the VHL. In the 2015–16 season he started playing for Avangard in the Kontinental Hockey League. He established quickly in the team. The 2017–18 season he finished as the top scorer of Avangard with 38 points. In 62 games during the 2018–19 season, Mikheyev recorded 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points to again finish as the club’s top point scorer. In the post-season he helped Avangard reach the Gagarin Cup finals recording 11 points in 13 games. On 6 May 2019, Mikheyev signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). On 2 October 2019, during the Maple Leafs’ home opener, Mikheyev scored his first NHL goal and added an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. After his debut, he made a passing comment about how he loved soup, which eventually led to a partnership with the Campbell Soup Company. In a game against the New Jersey Devils on 27 December, Mikheyev suffered a laceration on his wrist and was removed from the game. He immediately underwent surgery to repair an artery and tendons in his wrist. Fantasy Summary Skilled winger with middle-six upside. Capable of both making plays and finishing them on either special team unit. Observations January 2020 – After a fairytale transition to the NHL, Mikheyev has unfortunately suffered lacerated tendons and arteries in his wrist and will miss at least 3 months of action. His 23 points in 39 games played up to that point marked an extremely successful rookie campaign, which was culminating with appearances on the second line, as a regular on the penalty kill, and sometimes the second powerplay unit. His good SOG totals and ok hits totals make him a worthy add in various short-term and long-term leagues. He can occasionally suffer from tunnel vision which currently limits his offensive ceiling, but he has all the tools to continue being a point-producing middle-six forward with upside. Hayden Soboleski October 2019 – As was hoped upon his signing, Mikheyev has earned himself an NHL spot on the Leafs to start the season. The transition from Russia can be a hard one, but he made it an easy decision in pre-season thanks to his smart ply with and without the puck. He was able to protect himself in the offensive zone without a problem, and laid a couple hits of his own to show off a nastier edge than many expected. He projects to start the year on the 3rd line and could begin producing moderate points and hits right away for your fantasy squads. Hayden Soboleski May 2019 – Mikheyev has signed a one-year entry level contract with the Maple Leafs. Mikheyev is capable of jumping straight to the NHL but the Leafs have a good amount of forward depth, so it remains to be seen if he can earn a spot on their roster in the fall. Jokke Nevalainen November 2018 – Mikheyev is arguably the best free agent in Europe this season. His KHL contract expires in the spring, and there should be plenty of NHL interest at that point. The 24-year-old winger is a dual threat because he can both make plays and finish them. He has good acceleration and good top speed. His hockey sense is very good as well. He does a good job using his size to protect the puck and win puck-battles along the boards. He can also throw the occasional hit but isn’t known for that style of play. Defensively, he uses his hockey smarts for good defensive reads. He’s a good back-checker, and a capable penalty-killer as well. Mikheyev’s counting stats in the KHL may not look all that impressive but he plays for a low-scoring team, and he’s arguably the best offensive player on the Omsk roster. Jokke Nevalainen
