Thus far, the month of July has started slowly for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team is beginning to add pieces, but more pieces have flown away than have landed. Perhaps, the focus on re-upping both William Nylander and Auston Matthews is sucking the energy out of the other activity. We’ll see.
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For now, in this post, I’ll lay out the signings that the organization has made to this point. Obviously, more will come later.
Item One: John Klingberg Signs for One-Year
On July 1, defenseman John Klingberg signed a one-year contract with the Maple Leafs worth $4.15 million. Klingberg, who’s known for his offensive skill as a defenseman, is coming off one of his poorest seasons. However, part of the reason is that he was playing with the Anaheim Ducks. They were a team that had a tough time generating offence.
With the Maple Leafs, he’s expected to provide the team with much-needed scoring from the blue line. He also looks to take advantage of the additional scoring his new teammates can generate. Everyone seems to be hoping for the perfect storm where opportunity meets expectation. Klingberg could bust out and have a great season.
Last season, Klingberg recorded 10 goals and 23 assists (for 33 points) in 67 games while playing for both the Ducks and the Minnesota Wild. Of those points, 10 (including two goals) came on the power play. Given the talented Maple Leafs’ roster, look for Klingberg’s offensive production to improve while he’s in Toronto.
Item Two: Ryan Reaves Signs on for Three Years
Ryan Reaves has signed on with the Maple Leafs for three years. His total contract for that term is $4.05 million. Last season, he registered 15 points in 61 games while playing with the Minnesota Wild.
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Reaves is now 36 years old. He’s not known for his offense, but he sure brings grit and physicality to the ice. He’s the kind of player that Maple Leafs fans have asked for a long time – someone who hits and protects his teammates. If he can do all that while holding his penalty minutes in check, he’ll be welcomed to the team.
With this signing, the Maple Leafs are looking to get edgier and tougher to play against. Can he add the edge to the Maple Leafs’ lineup that can help put the team over the top? His primary contributions will come in the physical aspects of the game rather than offensive production.
Item Three: Marshall Rifai Signes ELC
On July 1, 25-year-old undrafted defenseman Marshall Rifai signed a two-year entry-level contract (ELC) with the Maple Leafs. Last season, he played for the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Toronto Marlies. In his time with them, he put up 16 points in 69 games.
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Before jumping to the AHL, Rifai had played three seasons for Harvard University Crimson. Look for him to spend most of the upcoming season with the Marlies.
Item Four: Max Lajoie Also Signs with the Maple Leafs
Max Lajoie, a 25-year-old defenseman who’s kicked around for a few seasons, also signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1. During the 2018-19 season, he looked like a keeper when he played 56 games as a 20-year-old with the Ottawa Senators (scoring seven goals and adding eight assists for 15 points). However, since that time he’s only played 14 games in the NHL.
During the 2022-23 season, Lajoie played for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and put up 11 goals and 45 points in 63 games. Looking ahead, it would seem he will begin his season with the Marlies. Where it goes from there, who knows?
Item Five: William Lagesson Signs One-Year Deal with Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs signed a third defenseman on July 1. That was William Lagesson, who inked a one-year, two-way contract. Like Lajoie, he played with the Wolves last season where he scored 10 goals and added 22 assists (for 32 points) in 65 games. He also has seven assists in 60 career NHL games.
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The 27-year-old defenseman was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers and played in their system until last season. It’s expected that Lagesson will likely spend the majority of the 2023-24 season playing in the AHL.
[Just a note that these three defensemen have two things in common. They are all at least 25 years old (Lagesson is 27, the other two 25). They are also all taller defensemen. Lagesson is 6-foot-2, while Rifai and Lajoie are 6-foot-1. Look for new Maple Leafs’ general manager (GM) Brad Treliving to go for bigger bodies than his predecessor Kyle Dubas did.]
Item Six: Maple Leafs Sign Young Goalie Artur Akhtyamov
Young Russian goalie Artur Akhtyamov signed a three-year ELC with the Maple Leafs on July 1. He was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft (106th overall). Over the past two seasons, he had played for Neftyanik in the VHL (Russia’s second-highest hockey league). Prior to that, he had played four games in total over two seasons with Kazan Ak-Bars in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
In 39 games in the VHL, Akhtyamov posted impressive statistics. He put up a 1.74 goals-against average (GAA) with a .943 save percentage. Look for him to begin his professional career with the Marlies this season.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Thus far, these are the Maple Leafs signings. The headlines on July 2 took new GM Treliving to task a bit for his lack of activity. Many hockey writers wanted more and sooner. Treliving rightfully noted that the summer is young. The team (like Rome) won’t be built in a day it seems.
One thing consistent with all these signings is that they are all over six feet tall. Even young goalie Akhtyamov is six feet tall, but only 156 pounds. We’ll see if that’s going to be a trend with the team going forward.
