Report: Leafs sign Nick Blankenburg to PTO
The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing another defenseman into the mix for training camp.
According to a report from the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, the Leafs have signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a professional tryout contract.
Blankenburg was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of his two-year contract with a $775,000 cap hit, one he signed with the Nashville Predators in free agency in 2024. While there was some expectation Blankenburg would secure a larger contract after a strong couple seasons, but whether the market wasn’t there for him or he overpriced himself, he finds himself heading into training camp without a contract, and requiring a PTO to play during the preseason.
It will be interesting to see how the Leafs fit Blankenburg into their team as well, should the defenseman impress them enough. Not only are the Leafs $2,752,382 over the salary cap according to PuckPedia (although a long-term injury to Max Domi will likely relieve the Leafs of his $3.75 million cap hit for most of the season and leave them with $997,618 in salary cap space), but they also have 50 standard-player contracts signed to their roster. Should Toronto decide to sign Blankenburg, they will need to get rid of at least one contract to make room for him.
Blankenburg is coming off of his best season in the NHL, where he had eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 61 games with the Predators and Colorado Avalanche. He is also a strong play-driver at both ends of the ice, with his 12.5 expected goals above replacement ranking 26th among defensemen last season, albeit in sheltered third-pairing minutes. Still, he could prove to be an effective bottom-pair defenseman for the Leafs, something they’ve lacked in recent years.
The Leafs are coming off an active summer, as new general manager John Chayka looked to make his mark on the team in hopes of improvement after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign. In addition to winning the draft lottery and selecting Gavin McKenna, Toronto also acquired Darren Raddysh, Nick Paul and Emil Andrae and signed Sergei Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons and Brandon Duhaime in free agency.