Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikita Soshnikov started the 2017-18 season in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, but he likely won’t be there much longer.
“Maple Leafs fans are well-aware of this situation: Nikita Soshnikov, on Tuesday, if he’s not in the NHL he has the right to go back overseas,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said during Saturday’s Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada.
According a clause in Soshnikov’s contract, which he signed as a free agent out of the KHL in March 2015, the winger is allowed to return to Russia if he’s not skating on NHL ice by Nov. 14.
As of Saturday night, there’s no update yet.
“Lou Lamoriello has a saying: ‘if you have time, use it.’ So this probably means it gets sorted out at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday night, but either it’ll be something as simple as a roster move or maybe another kind of move,” Friedman said. “But people are expecting the Maple Leafs to do something to make room for him.”
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek also discussed the Maple Leafs’ dilemma earlier this week:
Soshnikov, 24, scored five goals and added four assists in 56 games with the Maple Leafs last season, adding to the five points in 11 games he tallied following his debut in 2015-16. He’ll be a restricted free agent on July 1, 2018.
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