The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded the rights to defenceman Fedor Gordeev to the Minnesota Wild, the team announced Thursday.
The Wild had until June 1 to sign Gordeev to avoid the defender being eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft — they announced soon after that they’ve signed the 20-year-old to a three-year entry-level deal.
With the signing official, the Maple Leafs will receive a 2020 seventh-round pick, due to the terms of the trade earlier in the day.
Gordeev, 20, was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fifth-round in 2017. Originally from Toronto, Gordeev recently completed his OHL career as a member of the Guelph Storm, helping the team reach the semifinals of the Memorial Cup.
A six-foot-six, left-shot defenceman, Gordeev posted seven goals and 32 points in 63 OHL games split between the Storm and Flint Firebirds this season. He added two goals and an assist in 23 playoff games.
“I like to hit a lot but I can also jump into the play and get the job done there,” Gordeev said in an interview with Sportsnet’s Ryan McKenna at the Memorial Cup. “This tournament (is) obviously big for me. So just trying to show myself and get a contract hopefully.”
