Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Nikita Gusev To Professional Tryout Contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Nikita Gusev to a professional tryout contract. It's surprising that an NHL team has yet to sign Gusev for the season, but perhaps that will change with the Leafs.

Toronto Maple #Leafs have signed UFA forward Nikita Gusev to a Professional Try Out.

Gusev split his time between NJ and Florida last season, scoring 4 goals and adding 6 assists in 33 games. https://t.co/yXdJ0NYKLb
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) September 17, 2021

Gusev joined the NHL after the 2018-19 season, where he had 82 points in 62 games for SKA St. Petersburg. He then played well in his first NHL season with the New Jersey Devils, too. In 66 games, he scored 13 goals and recorded 44 points. Although he was not a point-per-game player, he still was quite solid.

Heading into this season, New Jersey expected him to be a quality top-six winger for them again. However, he struggled to find his previous offensive success, as he had just five points in 20 games. This resulted in him in being bought out before the end of the season. He then was signed by the Florida Panthers and had five points in 11 games.

Gusev does have the potential to bounce back and showed glimpses of that with the Panthers. If he were to play for an offensively charged team like the Maple Leafs, his chances would seem higher to do so. If he finds his old form, he could end up being a great move for Toronto, but he must impress at camp first to earn a contract for the season.