With the 2024 Trade Deadline approaching and several teams looking to bolster their roster this season, the Maple Leafs are expected to be active between now and March 8 in hopes of making a Stanley Cup run. It looks as though they are also keeping an eye on their future, as some news has come out about a player they could have some interest in signing for next season. The Maple Leafs have reportedly shown interest in signing Maxim Tsyplakov, who is currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL.)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are among multiple NHL teams interested in signing KHL right winger Maxim Tsyplakov next season, Tsyplakov’s agent Alexander Chernykh told The Athletic.
source – “Maple Leafs purusing Russian forward Maxim Tsyplakov: Who is he, what can he bring?” – Joshua Kloke – 02/09/2024
Tsyplakov is a 25-year-old forward in the final season of his contract with Spartak Moscow in the KHL. He was born in Russia, stands 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, and has been playing in the KHL since the 2017-18 season. Over 320-career games, he has scored 62 goals and added 57 assists for 119 points which comes out to a 0.37 points-per-game average. This season as an alternate captain, he has broken out offensively scoring 30 goals and adding 15 assists for 45 points through 58 games, as he sits third on the team in points behind Nikolay Goldobin and Pavel Poryadin.
He could be a welcomed addition to the Maple Leafs in 2024-25, but they won’t be the only teams interested in him if he has intentions of coming to the NHL. The league took notice of now-Calgary Flame Andrei Kuzmenko and how well he transitioned from the KHL to the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, so teams will be more interested now in hopes they may be able to sign someone who could be an offensive weapon. Hopefully, the Maple Leafs make a good impression and can convince him to sign in Toronto.