Leafs prospect's career may be over at just 21 years old

The following summer, the Leafs traded back into the first round of the draft, acquiring the 15th overall pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a deal that saw speedy winger Kasperi Kapanen, who originally came over from Pittsburgh in the Phil Kessel deal, shipped back to the Pens. The Leafs then used that pick on Russian winger Rodion Amirov.

Early in 2022, the Leafs prospect was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was sent to Germany to undergo treatment. A year and a half later, we still have more questions than answers and all of Amirov, Salavat Yulayev and the Leafs have been very quiet about the situation.

On Sunday, a popular Leafs Twitter account had inquired about the status of Amirov and whether or not anyone had an update. One representative from The Score quote tweeted the inquiry suggesting that the 21-year-old's career may actually be over.

As Kyle Cushman pointed out, the Leafs and Salavat Yulayev had renewed Amirov's loan to the KHL club, but while some took this as a sign that he was expected to return this season, Cushman revealed that the loan had more to do with Amirov having access to the team and its staff rather than a return being anywhere on the horizon.

Obviously, the number one concern remains Amirov's health. Battling a brain tumor is unfathomable at any age, let alone at 21 years old. We're all hoping for the best possible outcome here, being that he'll recover and be able to resume his career at some point down the line, but at this point, we'll settle for him just being able to recover and live his life, even if a hockey career is no longer in the cards.