Nikita Soshnikov was the subject of a controversy earlier this week when, after playing five games in the AHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not deem him healthy enough to come of the injured reserve. Were the Leafs once against skirting the rules? Or at least, staying within them only on a technical basis?
After the Lupul and Robidas situations (to say nothing of how the Leafs got out of both the supposedly untradeable Clarkson and Phaneuf contracts) people following the Leafs would expect nothing less. It’s got to annoy some of the Leafs competitors, but if it helps the Leafs and is at least technically legal, then why not?