Maple Leafs trade Soshnikov to Blues for 4th-round pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Nikita Soshnikov to the St. Louis Blues for a fourth-round pick in 2019.

Soshnikov played only three games for the Leafs this season due to injury and simply being supplanted on the organization's depth chart.

He missed 28 games with what the club would only classify as a "lower-body" ailment. He was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 12.

The Leafs got a measure of flexibility by making the deal, as they're no longer at the 50-contract limit, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Soshnikov posted 17 points in 19 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies in 2017-18 after appearing in 56 NHL games last season.

He was signed by the Leafs out of the KHL in 2015.