When forward Ilya Mikheyev became a free agent after the 2018-19 KHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs came calling. The team signed Mikheyev on May 6th, 2019, to a one-year entry-level contract worth $925,000.
The signing happened with some influence from both within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and outside of it. During the summer before his last KHL season, Mikheyev and his agent met with numerous NHL general managers.
During the season, Mikheyev started to filter his choices down to a select few, with Toronto being one of them. Knowing that they had a real shot at signing him, head coach Mike Babcock opened a line of communication with Mikheyev online.