On Monday morning, the Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed the signing of Dylan Gambrell to a one-year contract worth $775,000. With the signing, the Maple Leafs added another depth piece to the team’s roster for the upcoming season.
Gambrell’s signing adds depth to the team’s forward group and will likely provide competition for a spot on the fourth line. His addition comes with a low-cost, short-term contract, which seems to be in vogue this offseason. For the Maple Leafs, it’s a way to work to get a team together to surround what seems to be an increasingly more solid-scoring top-six group. It’s also a group that promises to be much more feisty.
With the signing, the team has added a young (but veteran) player who comes with a contract just over the NHL’s league minimum salary. It allows the team to bolster the roster while – at the same time – also managing the team’s salary cap situation.
Gambrell’s NHL Career and Statistics
Over his six-year NHL career, Gambrell has kicked around a good deal, playing for both the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators. Last season, he suited up for 60 games with the Senators, scoring four goals and adding six assists.
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His offence is far from productive, as he’s simply not a player who is known for his scoring. He is what he is, a depth player. With 40 points (17 goals and 23 assists) in 233 career games, Gambrell has shown the ability to score only an occasional goal. The question is more about whether he can be a reliable depth player that can stop the other team from scoring.
A History of Success at Lower Levels
Gambrell’s hockey journey in hockey began in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He played there for three seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and helped the team capture the Clark Cup in 2013. Following his junior career, Gambrell attended Denver University and played a significant role in the team’s 2017 NCAA Division I national championship.
During his college career, he earned a spot on the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) All-Rookie team in 2016 and multiple selections to the NCHC second team.
One More One-Year Contract for the Maple Leafs
Signing Gambrell seems to align with the Maple Leafs’ current strategy of adding depth through low-cost, one-year contracts. General manager (GM) Brad Treliving has been active in acquiring players like Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, also on one-year contracts.
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Looking at the situation, you’d have to believe it helps ensure the team’s competitiveness while managing its salary cap constraints. That’s also true given the team’s current negotiations to extend the contracts of both Auston Matthews and William Nylander for the 2024-25 season when their new deals would hit the books.
Looking Ahead for Gambrell
Gambrell’s signing represents a depth move for the Maple Leafs, providing additional options for their bottom-six forward positions. As the team carefully manages salary cap constraints and makes roster decisions, such low-cost veteran signings could play a crucial role in solidifying the lineup.
While the impact of Gambrell’s signing remains to be seen, his addition works to strengthen the team’s overall depth and contribute to their goal of remaining competitive throughout the upcoming season.
Unless Something Drastic Happens, a Big Name Player Isn’t Coming
Make no mistake, Gambrell’s signing by the Maple Leafs is a depth addition to a team that has been actively pursuing one-year contracts. Treliving has been proactive in bringing in players like Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi on short-term deals as a way to keep his team in contention.
However, the team still faces a challenge in managing their salary cap as they work on future negotiations to build the team’s core. The one noticeable absence of a contract is restricted free agent (RFA) goalie Ilya Samsonov.
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It would seem, with the salary load-up after signing Domi and Bertuzzi, that a bigger goalie fish is not on the horizon. That is, unless there’s a trade in the works for William Nylander. I hope that isn’t something that Treliving is considering or that Nylander is seen to be forcing his salary negotiations.
We’ve Seen Some of Treliving’s Philosophy in Action So Far
Thus far, Maple Leafs fans have been able to see Treliving’s philosophy as to what he believes a team should look like. He’s making his stamp by seeking and signing grit and attitude. As noted, Ryan Reaves, Domi, and Bertuzzi are three examples of what he believes will help the Maple Leafs achieve the success they desire.
What we haven’t yet seen is how Treliving envisions the team’s bottom six. Will he continue to sign low-cost NHL veterans on one-year contracts? Or will he offer a chance that prospects can rise to on-ice action from the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Toronto Marlies?
Will the Maple Leafs Have to Rely on Their Youngsters?
Given where things are going with the signings, the team might be painting itself into a corner with the high-end nature of the contracts that have been signed. They are already being forced to consider filling the bottom of the team with inexpensive players.
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If that’s the case, it doesn’t hurt my feelings at all. I’d be anxious to see what the youngsters can do. Matthew Knies will get a chance to play. Nick Robertson needs another chance, either here or somewhere else. Pontus Holmberg, Bobby McMann and Alex Steeves could become a line of their own. Could Nick Abruzzese or even Semyon Der-Arguchintsev see some time as well?
We’ll soon see where the bottom six is headed. But for now, there’s one piece added to the puzzle that remains in disarray on the Maple Leafs’ table.
