Former Leafs Player Officially Ends NHL Dream to Sign Overseas

With several players decided to go overseas this summer, the Maple Leafs have seen their fare share leave, with Mikko Kokkonen, and Topi Niemala two of the bigger names who departed.

Well, the team can add another to that list as it was announced that KHL team SKA St. Petersburg officially signed former Maple Leafs player Joseph Blandisi on Tuesday.

The deal is for two years and will run until the end of the 2026-27 season, and sees the Russian powerhouse add even more firepower to their lineup.

We touched on the potential of Blandisi signing and while it wasn't a certainty, the fact Toronto hadn't approached with an offer was a telling sign.

Blandisi never made it to the Maple Leafs but did manage to skate in 101 career NHL games with the Penguins, Devils and Ducks scoring 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists.) His best season came in his debut season where he had 17 points in 41 games for New Jersey.

He was signed by the Marlies in 2021 and made his debut for them in the 2021-22 season. In his four seasons with the team, Blandisi had 67 goals and 95 assists and also added 10 points in 12 playoff games.

He joins SKA St. Petersburg who already boasts a roster with the likes of Nikita Zaitsev, and Igor Larionov; who takes on the role of player-coach with the team.

It was unfortunate that Blandisi never made it to the Maple Leafs as he may have had a shot at being a solid depth pivot at some point, especially when Toronto needed some centers, but was kept with the Marlies.

Blandisi follows the trend that several other Maple Leafs prospects and former players have done, and it seems that with the new direction the team is going, there is a lack of need for those who were solid in the past; but hold no standing nowadays.

We will see if Blandisi will end up exploding like several of his contemporaries or if it was a last-ditch effort to continue his hockey career.