5 ex-Leafs who are thriving in European hockey

If you’re a fan of Puckdoku, then you probably enjoy Remembering Some Guys.

It’s always fun to go back and think about the players that have come and gone for the Toronto Maple Leafs over time. You’ve got the bigger names, such as Zach Hyman, Frederik Andersen and Nazem Kadri. But those guys are too mainstream – boring.

So what about the more obscure guys that you have dig deep to remember? Today, we’re looking at five former Leafs who are putting up some good numbers over in Europe. Most were only around for a short span, but others actually played some decent hockey from time to time:

Josh Leivo, LW (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)

Leafs Career: 84GP, 14G, 14A, 28P from 2013-14 to 2018-19

Leivo never played more than 27 games in a season for Toronto, making him more of a AAAA player during his tenure there. He’d find himself with some decent stints in a depth role with other organizations, but he never really established himself as an effective, everyday player. But after moving to the KHL last year, Levio has managed to become one of the league’s top stars. He currently leads the KHL with 42 goals and 67 points in 54 games, putting him on a 48-goal, 77-point pace.

There’s still a handful of games left, but there’s a realistic chance he could become the first 50-goal scorer in KHL history. He’s just six behind legend Serei Mozyakin for the most goals scored in a KHL season, so it’s been a truly special season for the 31-year-old. It’s not completely surprising that he’s thriving because Leivo has always been a good minor league player – he earned Calder Cup playoff MVP honors after scoring 15 goals and 29 points during the 2021-22 AHL season. There was never an opportunity for him to excel in a top-six role with Toronto, but it’s cool to see him playing well right now.

Denis Malgin, C (ZSC Lions, NL)

Malgin played parts of two seasons with the Leafs, which included a trip to Europe in between. Malgin was always a bit of a long shot to be an impact NHLer due to his smaller 5-foot-9 frame. But Malgin played over half the season in four straight campaigns with Florida from 2016-18 until his trade to Toronto in 2019-20. Leafs fans were optimistic about Malgin’s return in 2022-23 after watching him register 12 points in eight games at the World Hockey Championship with Switzerland – edging out teammates Nico Hischier and Timo Meier by four points each. An energetic depth forward, Malgin added speed and some decent skill to Toronto’s lineup, but never really played more than a third-line role.

In fact, the worst hockey of his career came in Toronto, who ultimately moved him to Colorado to close out his NHL tenure in 2022-23. But back in Switzerland, Malgin has been such a massive threat. He’s one of the top players on the ZSC Lions, and just helped the team win the Champions Hockey League title after leading all players with 12 assists. Malgin was also named National League MVP after registering 14 points en route to his first championship in Switzerland. The 28-year-old is likely never going back to the NHL, but

Ondrej Kase, RW (HC Litvinov, Czechia)

Oh, what could have been. Had Kase remained healthy in 2021-22, he was on pace for 44 points, which would have been a career high. But after leaving the Leafs after one season, Kase played just one game with Carolina before sitting out the rest of 2022-23 due to a concussion. Since then, Kase has become one of the best players back in the top Czech league. He had 54 points in 48 games with HC Litvinov last year and was a key reason why the Czechs won gold at the World Championship in the spring.

Kase has been hovering around the point-per-game mark this season, leaving some to wonder if the 29-year-old could eventually get a second chance in North America. It was never a question of skill with Kase – it was whether he could stay healthy. He has a deal in Czechia until 2026-27, so it’s unlikely we’ll see him back anytime soon.

Nicolas Petan, C (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)

Petan was an incredible junior hockey player, highlighted by his three-straight 28-point playoff runs with Portland and his 120-point campaign in 2012-13. But the undersized forward just never could crack a full-time NHL roster, and he quickly became known as one of the better call-ups in the NHL. Petan played 28 games with the Maple Leafs over three seasons, registering just five points. He was a big part of the Marlies, though, and that’s why he kept getting called up on occasion.

After leaving the Leafs in 2021, Petan went on to have some unsuccessful stints with Vancouver and Minnesota before bolting off to Europe for the first time. Petan has been one of Kazan’s top players this year, and if it wasn’t for an injury that made him miss 11 games, Petan could have easily been the team’s top scorer.

Nikita Soshnikov, RW (Admiral Vladivostok, KHL)

It might be easy to forget Soshnikov, who played for the Maple Leafs through some truly dark years. His best hockey came when he had nine points in 56 games in 2016-17, the only time he played more games in the NHL than the AHL. The quick skater was brought in to give some energy, and many were hopeful he could contribute the odd goal. And he did, but not enough to keep him around.

After three years with the Leafs, he joined the St. Louis Blues for 19 games over two seasons before returning to Europe. The New York Islanders would take a chance on him in 2022-23, but after just seven games between the NHL and AHL, he found himself back in Europe. Soshnikov is in the midst of one his best KHL seasons to date, where he’s on pace to register 41 points with Vladivostok – the sixth team he has suited up for in his KHL career. Soshnikov is one of four players on the team with NHL experience, joining Shane Prince, Jack Rodewald and Libor Sulak.