Explaining Ilya Samsonov’s arbitration case with the Toronto Maple Leafs and why letting it get to that point is a loss for the club. There could be two former Toronto Marlies players to be granted Russian citizen citizenship this summer. According to The Moscow Times [https://t.co/roL157pxX9], former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Brennan Menell has been granted Russian citizenship [http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202307270004] by prime minister Vladimir Putin. The 26-year-old Mennell signed a three-year contract with Dynamo Moscow extension with the club back in April following his first season with the club. He scored twice and had 22 assists in 44 games with the KHL team. Menell's tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs was brief. The Leafs acquired Menell on July 28, 2021, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. The condition stated that the draft pick would stay with Toronto if Menell played in 30 games with Maple Leafs. After signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Leafs in the offseason, Menell spent his entire time with the Toronto Marlies where he scored one goal and added four assists in 20 games before he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for future considerations on March 23, 2022. According to the report, the American-born Menell is planning to learn to speak to language and dismissed the U.S. Embassy's advisory to leave the country while the country is currently at war with Ukraine. Menell being granted Russian citizenship means there could be two former Toronto Marlies from North America who change allegiances to Russia before next season. Earlier this month, Brendan Leipsic sought to apply for Russian citizenship. He has spent the last three years playing in the KHL and signed on with Putin's reported favorite KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg. There has been no update on the status of Leipsic's application. Related How the Maple Leafs Can Get Under the Salary Cap for Opening Night [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/how-the-maple-leafs-can-get-under-the-salary-cap-for-opening-night] Timo Hirvonen, Father of Maple Leafs Prospect Roni, Passes Away [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/timo-hirvonen-father-of-maple-leafs-prospect-roni-passes-away] Matt Murray's Long-Term Injured Reserve Status Doesn’t Mean His Maple Leafs Tenure is Over [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/matt-murrays-long-term-injured-reserve-status-doesnt-mean-his-maple-leafs-tenure-is-over] News from THN.com THN On The 'A': Generating AHL Analytics and Rating Prospects with Sean O'Brien [https://thehockeynews.com/podcast/thn-on-the-a-generating-ahl-analytics-and-rating-prospects-with-sean-obrien] How Your Favorite NHL Team Will Disappoint You in 2023-24 [https://thehockeynews.com/news/how-your-favorite-nhl-team-will-disappoint-you-in-2023-24] 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool Overview: Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/news/2023-24-nhl-prospect-pool-overview-florida-panthers]
