Leafs decide to bring in Nikita Gusev

According to CapFriendly, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Nikita Gusev to a professional tryout for their training camp which is set to begin in less than two weeks' time.

Gusev, 29, came over to the NHL for the 2019-20 season with plenty of promise. The season prior, he had appeared in 62 games with St. Petersburg SKA in the KHL and registered 17 goals and 82 points. It wasn't a one off either, as he had produced numbers at an elite level for a number of years in the KHL, making many believe he had the potential to be a high impact player at the NHL as well.

Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out as Gusev would have hoped. While his rookie season with the Devils in which he put up 13 goals and 44 points in 66 contests wasn't bad, he really struggled last year and was often healthy scratched in New Jersey. Prior to being traded to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline he had just two goals and five points in 20 contests. The trade didn't seem to help a ton as he managed just five points in 11 games with the Panthers and was scratched through their entire six game series in the first-round versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

While he hasn't yet found his footing at the NHL level, this is a pretty good move by the Leafs as there is no risk associated. Clearly Gusev has a ton of skill, and if he is able to show it at camp there is a chance he could earn a cheap deal, one which he could certainly outplay if he is able to translate all of his skill to the NHL level.

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