Brendan Brisson is joining Jim Hiller's Maple Leafs, and the family connection behind Toronto's latest move is impossible to ignore.
Toronto signed the 24-year-old forward to a one-year contract Friday, giving Hiller another option to evaluate before the opening-night roster takes shape.
Brisson spent last season in the New York Rangers organization. He recorded 37 points, including 19 goals and 18 assists, across 66 games with Hartford in the AHL.
His NHL opportunity was limited to three games with the Rangers, where he picked up one assist. Toronto is betting there's still another level available from a former first-round pick.
Brisson was selected 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. Across 27 NHL games between Vegas and New York, he has produced two goals and seven assists.
But this signing carries another layer that will immediately get attention in Toronto: Brendan is the son of powerhouse NHL agent Pat Brisson.
The Gavin McKenna connection is hard to miss
Pat Brisson represents Gavin McKenna, the biggest young name connected to the Maple Leafs organization, along with Toronto captain John Tavares. That makes Friday's addition far more interesting than a routine depth signing.
The connection doesn't guarantee anything, and Toronto still has to judge Brendan Brisson strictly on what he delivers at camp. But relationships matter around the NHL, especially when teams deal with elite players and their representatives.
Brisson now gets a fresh runway with a Leafs team looking for internal competition. His 19-goal AHL season gives him a legitimate offensive case entering camp rather than making him a name-only addition.
For Hiller, the question will be where that offence fits. Brisson needs to show he can push for NHL minutes rather than settle into another season moving between levels.
Toronto also gets a player with pedigree and something to prove. Brisson has already been through Vegas and New York without locking down a permanent NHL role.
And the Pat Brisson-McKenna connection will stay attached to this move. Toronto just brought the agent's son into the organization while that same agent represents McKenna.
That doesn't make the signing a hidden message. It does make Brendan Brisson one of Toronto's more fascinating late-summer additions before camp even opens.
Does the Pat Brisson-Gavin McKenna connection make this signing more significant?
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