After a scintillating opening few games in the NHL last year, you would be forgiven for thinking Nikita Soshnikov would be a mainstay on the Leafs top nine for years to come. On a team with not much to enjoy, he was a bright spot in his 11 games last year, collecting five points in the process. He seemed like a perfect blend of skating, aggression, and skill, the type of guy you hate to play against and love to play with. A Leo Komarov with more upside.
This year has been quite different.