Toronto Maple Leafs: Igor Ozhiganov returning to KHL

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Igor Ozhiganov is set to head back to Russia when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1

It appears as though the Igor Ozhiganov era has come to an end in Toronto.

On Saturday, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that there was a strong chance that Ozhiganov would leave the Toronto Maple Leafs and sign a contract in the KHL – though there was still a chance that the Leafs and the defender reached a deal.

However, Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL struck a deal with CSKA Moscow on Sunday to acquire Ozhiganov’s rights in exchange for former NHLer Jiri Sekac, according to Russian outlet Sport-Express.

More from Tip of the Tower

• Cam Phillips making his mark on Toronto Argonauts offence
• Toronto Argonauts: 4 storylines ahead of matchup against Redblacks
• Federico Bernardeschi ready for new challenge with Toronto FC
• Toronto Argonauts overcome Roughriders in entertaining Touchdown Atlantic
• Buffalo Bills: Von Miller drawing inspiration from Bruce Smith

Sekac played 60 games for Ak Bars last season, leading the team in scoring with 47 points. With that type of return, it’s a near certainty that the 26-year-old defender will be heading back home to continue his career in Russia.

Ozhiganov was initially linked to the Leafs halfway through the 2017-18 campaign. But since he had to finish out his contract with CSKA, the Leafs couldn’t sign him until last summer. He signed a one-year entry-level deal with the team on May 17.

He came into the team and was in the opening night lineup. Ozhiganov also had fellow Russian Nikita Zaitsev around to help him transition and serve as a translator.

On the ice, his performance wasn’t bad but there was room for improvement. Ozhiganov managed to score his first NHL goal against the Boston Bruins in November.

He finished the year with just seven total points in 53 contests – an interesting total considering his 55.7 percent of starts in the offensive zone in 2018-19. Ozhiganov also had a 53.99 Corsi for percentage on the year, which was the third-best total on the entire team.

With the acquisition of Jake Muzzin ahead of the trade deadline, however, made Ozhiganov expendable on the back end. He spent nearly the entirety of the final stretch in the press box and didn’t feature in any playoff games.

There wasn’t a chance that he would’ve accepted a demotion to the Marlies, and with the likes of Calle Rosen, Timothy Liljegren, and Rasmus Sandin on the way, this was the best move for him.

In the event that Ozhiganov does sign with Ak Bars this summer, he’ll join a defensive core that features former NHLers Andrei Markov and Paul Postma.

While his tenure in Toronto barely lasted a calendar year, Ozhiganov did help the team reach the playoffs with his efforts on the back end.

How do you think this departure will affect the Leafs’ plans on defence? Let us know in the comments below!