Unexpected free agent hits the open market after 49 goal season.

There is not usually a lot of news during the month of August when it comes to hockey transactions in the National Hockey League, but a very recent development from the Kontinental Hockey League may be on the verge of bucking that trend.

Multiple reports out of Russia are now indicating that the contract of former NHL forward Joshua Leivo has been terminated, this is spite of the fact that Leivo is coming off of what was an MVP level season with Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the KHL. Leivo established a KHL record of 49 goals in just 62 games this past season, adding an additional 31 assists for a whopping 80 points over that same 62 game span.

Leivo of course has plenty of experience at the NHL level having previously been drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 3rd round (86th overall) of the 2011 NHL entry Draft. Leivo spent 6 seasons under the Maple Leafs banner in the NHL, but even after his tenure with the Maple Leafs he continued his NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and St. Louis Blues.

Although Leivo would eventually be forced to seek employment elsewhere, it seems hard to imagine that he hasn't landed on the radar of at least a few NHL teams after such an unusual breakout season at 32 years of age.

The contract dispute here seems a bit strange, with reports indicating that Leivo may have been late to show up for training camp due to issues regarding his visa.

With his contract terminated, Leivo would now become a free agent and would in theory be free to sign with any team in the NHL should they wish to add him to their lineup.

Not only is Leivo coming off an exceptional season, but unlike most KHL players he would need very little adjustment to adapt to the North American style of play in the NHL. Leivo already has 265 games of NHL experience under his belt, including 42 goals and 51 assists for 93 career NHL points.

Would you like to see your team extend him a contract at what is likely to be a fairly low number? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.