The status of Rodion Amirov became more clear on Wednesday afternoon and it is encouraging news all around.
It has been reported that the Leafs and Salavat Yulaev Ufa agreed to extend Amirov’s loan for the 2022-23 season. He is continuing his training as he works towards a full recovery from a brain tumour that was first revealed back in February.
This makes the most sense for Amirov to remain in Russia for the coming year as that is where he has been since the process began. While he has not been officially cleared to return to action, this signals the possibility of him playing at some point in this coming campaign. Should he need more time to readjust to the KHL action, Salavat can easily send him to their VHL affiliate for conditioning.
Here is a statement that Amirov released regarding the announcement:
He played in 10 KHL games during the 2021-22 season where he recorded a goal and two assists, while also going scoreless in three VHL games.
As a result of today’s announcement, the earliest that Amirov can make his way over to Toronto is the 2023-24 campaign. Where he will ultimately be assigned once he makes his long-awaited trip to North America remains to be seen, but how he does once he is fully cleared to play this year will no doubt determine the Leafs’ development plan for him once he arrives.
Stats from Elite-Prospects.
More must-reads: