Joined: Jun. 2019
Posts: 55
Likes: 15
Everyone is all excited because the Leafs "are one of the teams interested in Bilyalov". He has great numbers, but he isn't even the starting goalie on his KHL team. IF he decides to sign with an NHL team, and IF the Leafs are the team he signs with they would pencil him in to be their backup next year. Then we're right where we are now with a backup that is unproven at the NHL level. The Leafs can't go down that road again and would need some insurance in case he can fill that role. Well, if you're Timur, you're not leaving Russia to be an AHL goalie. The biggest reason is because the best contract he can get is what Mikheyev signed, $925k in the NHL and $70k in the AHL with a $92,500 signing bonus. So unless he's guaranteed to be in the NHL, why would he come to potentially play for the Marlies for $160k.