The Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract on Friday as training camp draws closer.
The 24-year-old posted one assist in three games with the New York Rangers last season and added 19 goals and 37 points in 66 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack.
Brisson, the son of NHL agent Pat Brisson, was selected 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 draft. He has two goals and nine points over 27 games with the Golden Knights and Rangers in the NHL.
The University of Michigan alum played for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, posting two goals in four games. He was a teammate of Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies at the tournament.
Brisson will compete for a roster spot when camp opens later this month and look to be part of an overhauled forward group. Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and Zack MacEwen all joined the team in free agency, which came after general manager John Chayka selected Gavin McKenna with the first-overall pick in June’s draft.
It is unclear if a spot will freed by Max Domi, whose status is in question after he was ruled out indefinitely following complications arising from an off-season surgery in May.
Arguably Toronto’s biggest splash of the off-season came in net as Chayka brought in veteran Sergei Bobrovsky to pair with Anthony Stolarz and moving out Joseph Woll in the Andrae deal and Dennis Hildeby in the trade for Paul.
Arguably Toronto’s biggest splash of the off-season came in net as Chayka brought in veteran Sergei Bobrovsky to pair with Anthony Stolarz and moving out Woll in the Andrae deal and Dennis Hildeby in the trade for Paul.
How all the new pieces are deployed will be left up to head coach Jim Hiller, who has returned to Toronto after previously serving as an assistant coach under Mike Babcock from 2015-19.
Toronto will open its preseason on Sept. 19 with split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens.
