The Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year deal Friday.
The 24-year-old arrives looking for something that's eluded him so far: a permanent role at the NHL level.
Brisson spent last season in the New York Rangers organization, managing just one assist across three NHL appearances.
The bulk of his year came in the AHL instead. He put up 19 goals and 37 points in 66 games for the Hartford Wolfpack.
Vegas took him 29th overall back in the 2020 draft, and he's bounced around the league's fringes ever since without sticking.
He played his college hockey at the University of Michigan before turning pro, a program with a strong recent track record of NHL graduates.
His career NHL totals sit at just two goals and nine points across 27 games, split between the Golden Knights and the Rangers.
-
Maple Leafs add former Team USA Olympian Brendan Brisson
That gap between his AHL production and NHL results is exactly why a one-year deal, rather than anything longer, makes sense here.
Brisson does carry one notable credential. He represented Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, scoring two goals in four games.
Matthew Knies played on that same American Olympic roster, giving Brisson at least one familiar face walking into Toronto's dressing room.
Is a strong AHL scoring season finally enough to translate into consistent NHL minutes? That's the real question camp will answer.
Toronto isn't exactly flush with certainty at forward after finishing last season 32-36-14 and 28th overall in the league.
A rebuilding roster under new head coach Jim Hiller means every camp battle matters more than it would on a settled contender.
It's the hockey equivalent of a walk-on tryout at a program that just fired its whole coaching staff. The opportunity is real, but so is the competition.
My take: signings like this rarely make headlines, but they're exactly how bottom-six roles actually get won or lost in September.
Nothing about this signing changes Toronto's outlook. It just adds one more name competing for whatever's left once camp cuts start.
Will Brendan Brisson actually make the Maple Leafs' opening night roster?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Oilers assistant coach brings up the past and reveals Mike Babcock's true colors
