Mikheyev - - stay or go?

[Racer88]

Go back and watch highlights of Marner from his first year and you will see him doing the things you like to do , he had Martin , uncle Leo , JVR , Bozak and Kadri for linemates during that year and really seemed happy trying to crack back on hitters , digging in the corner and blocking shots , for whatever reason he has had that all taken out of his game , probably by management and he doesn't even seem happy most nights , too serious now not having fun .

It all went away when he signed his big contract……it happens to some players

 

[IPS]

Both Mikheyev and Engvall can take a hike. Both are fast for nothing and are Charmin soft.

They're the epitome of passengers when the hockey gets tough.

Mikheyev didn't get enough criticism in this year's playoffs - the guy was beyond useless.

 

[IPS]

I honestly thought Adam Brooks looked like a better player.

 

[djdev]

They're the epitome of passengers when the hockey gets tough.

Mikheyev didn't get enough criticism in this year's playoffs - the guy was beyond useless.

beyond spezza, willy, and kerfoot in the forward group...who actually played well?

 

[IPS]

Both are big and fast and contribute in their own ways in regular season hockey but best to trade both for a playoff type player at deadline .. neither of these 2 guys has an extra gear and neither wants to help out physically in playoffs .. all 3rd and 4th liners must be able to both skate and play physically in playoffs .. goals not a big deal but even up play is critical

Pat Maroon and Barclay Goodrow for Tampa don't score many goals but they have a noticeable impact on the ice on a shift by shift basis.

We need guys like those, not useless turds like Mikheyev and Engvall.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

1 of him or engvall has to go. Basically the same player

 

[Stephen]

Maybe a dime a dozen, but you keep him because quality teams can’t turn over 10 players every summer and pretend like chemistry and continuity won’t suffer. He’s good at some things and maybe his wrist will be in better shape for Year 3.

 

[TakeTheBody]

Can't help but think his 1.65 could be used on a 3rd or 4th liner that PKs AND hits. Our PK guys at least need to bring grit. Guys like Goodrow. Goodrow or Mikheyev come playoff time? It's really a no brainer. Engvall & Mikheyev gone give you the money for a Goodrow. Hyman gone plus some of Andersen's savings get you a Coleman. Kerfoot gone to Seattle gives you Foligno money. If we are running back the core 4, the trimmings have to be tough when push comes to shove. Or at least have some push back, like Brooks showed...being one of the only Leafs to even engage a playoff scrum. The attitude has to change. And guys like Mikheyev and Engvall are something you can't afford to have when your stars are for lack of a better term, "soft" players

Excellent points. Trade the SOB.

 

[danron1376]

add him and a pick to seattle if you want to keep kerfoot. soup just doesn't cut it when it counts the most (I think 0 pts in 12 playoff games). heard jamie mclennan say this and i agree, if games were 5 hours long soup still wouldn't score. if he didn't have speed he's be a below-average AHLer. if you use him for defense there are plenty of guys that you can sign to do that instead.

 

[OVO16]

1 of him or engvall has to go. Basically the same player

Rather see them both go. Team needs energy and heart players.

Overhaul the bottom 6

 

[Torontonian]

They're the epitome of passengers when the hockey gets tough.

Mikheyev didn't get enough criticism in this year's playoffs - the guy was beyond useless.

Our entire third line was useless, didn't score a goal the entire series.

Should stay but only if it's on the 4th line, the Leafs need to find better players for the top three lines. He is a good pker, brings good speed, can cycle the puck and hem teams in. Needs to improve on his finishing touch for the PK, had a lot of break away and chances on the PK this past season just didn't score on them, and needs to add some physicality to his game but I would be happy with him playing on the 4th line, not 3rd 2nd or first.

 

[CelticDruid]

1 of him or engvall has to go. Basically the same player

Engvall skating up the ice.

 

[Stonehands1990]

They're the epitome of passengers when the hockey gets tough.

Mikheyev didn't get enough criticism in this year's playoffs - the guy was beyond useless.

If these guys don’t want to finish their hits flip them for guys that do

 

[Stonehands1990]

Our entire third line was useless, didn't score a goal the entire series.

Should stay but only if it's on the 4th line, the Leafs need to find better players for the top three lines. He is a good pker, brings good speed, can cycle the puck and hem teams in. Needs to improve on his finishing touch for the PK, had a lot of break away and chances on the PK this past season just didn't score on them, and needs to add some physicality to his game but I would be happy with him playing on the 4th line, not 3rd 2nd or first.

Although I agree they were useless in the playoffs the ZIP or HEM lines was one of our best during the season. But Keefe is trash so he broke up the band

 

[seanlinden]

While he is a decent PKer, I don't think that can really factor in to whether or not you keep him. He makes too much to be a PK specialist without doing anything else.

To me, one of the following needs to happen:

1. Mikheyev finds himself an effective role in the top 6. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing him on a line with Matthews (But not Marner) -- use his straight line speed to spread out the play, but give him a finisher so as to insulate his lack of finishing.

2. The Leafs decide their 3rd line isn't going to be a "dumping ground for specialty players" -- and actually rely on them for offence every night. This might mean putting a guy like William Nylander on it.

3. Trade him.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

Rather see them both go. Team needs energy and heart players.

Overhaul the bottom 6

Agreed, but I doubt we overturn our whole lineup, so 1 of them have to go. They are both 25-35 point players who can penalty, but cannot finish to save their life. Useful on a fourth line role, but not on a 3rd line, especially for any contending team

 

[Alamo Leafer]

It's sad, he seemed pretty good before the injury.
Why every Leaf player become completely useless after a significant injury.
We're cursed I tell ya, CURSED!

 

[HarryLime]

he was invisible in both series. cut bait. they gave him lots of chances. it didn't work.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

He has more to show than what we saw this season. His first season he scored at a 48 pt pace while having a ton of speed and was pretty good at retrieving pucks. This year he generated a ton of chances but couldn't hit the side of a barn.

He has size, speed and PK ability. He needs to start throwing his weight around more. He's a big boy. He also needs to start scoring more and show what he did the first year. If you can replace him with someone better, ya do it. He didnt really show anything in the playoffs.

 

[sparxx87]

I don’t mind him. He does almost everything well except finish. I’d keep him one more year and see if he can look more like a 12-15 goal guy.

He might be the only bottom 6’er I’d keep.

 

[JEI]

I don’t mind him. He does almost everything well except finish. I’d keep him one more year and see if he can look more like a 12-15 goal guy.

He might be the only bottom 6’er I’d keep.

This might be where I'm at. It comes down to his ability to produce any offense...which hasn't been the case the last bit.. Given the team's cap constraints though his 2m might be better suited elsewhere.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

I like him. He has a good motor and I think he can finish a lot better than he showed last season. Remember that he was coming off a pretty devastating wrist injury.

 

[Anthrax442]

I like him. He has a good motor and I think he can finish a lot better than he showed last season. Remember that he was coming off a pretty devastating wrist injury.

He definitely had much more finish before the surgery.

 

[HellasLEAF]

Get rid. Way too soft. Can't score. We seen his contribution in the playoffs and was not a factor.

 

[Cor]

A third line with Mikheyev and someone like Goodrow on it would be quite good. Mikheyev is tremendous defensively and a good PKer. I’d also give him time on PP2. Wouldn’t even hurt to toss him into the top 6, and see what happens.

Not every player in the lineup needs to throw crushing hits every shift. Having a mix of that with someone like Goodrow with Mikheyev and a bit of a more offensive capable Center would be an effective third line. (Thinking someone like Haula)