Leafs sign Brandon Duhaime, Zack MacEwen to contracts
The first day of free agency continues to be an extraordinarily busy one for new Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka as he aims to re-shape the team’s roster.
Chayka landed two more depth forwards during the afternoon, as according to Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs have signed winger Brandon Duhaime to a three-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $2.6 million per year.
Then, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Leafs also landed Zack MacEwen on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $875,000.
The #LeafsForever signed 29 y/o F Zach MacEwen to a 2 year $875K cap hit contract Yr 1: $850K Yr 2: $900K Rep'd by Doug Shepherd @dougshepherd14 puckpedia.com/player/zack-ma…
Duhaime is a durable fourth-line forward who brings speed and penalty killing to any lineup. The Florida native spent the last two years with the Washington Capitals, where he appeared in all 82 games on both occasions. His offensive output took a dive between the two seasons, down to just nine points this year from 21 a year ago.
Follow along with Daily Faceoff’s live free agency tracker here.
MacEwen is a rugged 29-year-old forward who has carved out a seven-year NHL career so far after starting as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in just three NHL games this season while with the New Jersey Devils, and he has totaled 34 career points across 240 regular season appearances.
The Leafs have been among the busiest teams in the NHL at the start of free agency. Chayka landed two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Sergei Bobrovsky on a three-year contract with a $7 million cap hit, adding to an early forward haul of Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger and Colton Sissons.
Toronto also acquired veteran forward Nick Paul from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for promising AHL goaltender Dennis Hildeby
Toronto missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, snapping the longest postseason appearance streak in the NHL and prompting the dismissals of both former general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube.