Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Signs Contract With Another Team

Alexander Plesovskikh was the 152nd overall pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He was a fifth-rounder, and at 18 years old, he certainly has time to grow.

The right-handed left-winger is exactly six feet tall, but at 171 pounds, he could stand to gain a little bit of muscle.

Unfortunately for the Leafs, Plesovskikh will not be playing for this team anytime soon. In fact, the Leafs shouldn't even expect him to be at training camp.

We say that because, according to Elite Prospects, Plesovskikh has signed a deal with Moscow Spartak Jr of the Russian MHL league.

For those who may be confused, the MHL is the AHL version of the KHL. Therefore, Plesovskikh wants to spend some time in the Russian minor leagues developing his game.

Last season, Plesovskikh played for Moscow Spartak Jr and had 38 points in 50 games, which included a total of 15 goals.

Sometimes, it can be very difficult to get Russian players to play in North America, especially if they are very young. The players are more comfortable in Russia, and the United States and Canada are a huge culture shock.

Having said that, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a ton of prospects in the pipeline, and they will be just fine if a guy who was drafted in the fifth round decides to stay home.

Of course, the Leafs will be tracking Plesovskikh's progress with Moscow Spartak this season. Only time will tell whether or not he continues to develop.

Furthermore, the Leafs are focusing on this year's draft, which should be very interesting. Of course, they won't have a ton of assets compared to previous years.