Maple Leafs sign Michael Pezzetta to two-year contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Michael Pezzetta to a two-year contract with an annual average value (AAV) of $787,500, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Pezzetta spent the 2024-25 season with the Montreal Canadiens, recording 24 penalty minutes in 25 games. In four NHL seasons, Pezzetta scored 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points and 241 penalty minutes in 200 career regular-season games.

He has also appeared in 115 career AHL regular-season games, scoring 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points and 186 penalty minutes with the Laval Rocket.

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Taken in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Pezzetta spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sudbury Wolves and Sarnia Sting, scoring 48 goals and 63 assists for 111 points and 321 penalty minutes in 241 regular-season games.

The Maple Leafs finished the 2024-25 season with a 52-26-4 record and 108 points, winning the Atlantic Division. After eliminating the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Toronto was eliminated in seven games by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.

Earlier this week, the Maple Leafs signed Mitch Marner to an eight-year contract with an AAV of $12 million, then traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nic Roy. Marner was entering the summer as the top unrestricted free agent on the market, and was likely to be sought after by plenty of teams.

With this trade, the Golden Knights jump the market, get the extra year for Marner and move out some money, while the Leafs get an asset in return for a situation where they were about to lose their star player for nothing, more importantly, a center that can play in their top nine.