The Toronto Maple Leafs added Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract on Friday, giving them more forward insurance who can help both the NHL and AHL teams.
For fans of the Maple Leafs, it's been a fairly quiet summer for the past month and a half but they finally made another move on Friday. The team announced on social media that they had signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year, two-way deal.
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The deal is worth $850,000 with his minors salary coming in at $300,000 as well:
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Brisson, 24, spent his 2025-26 season between the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack. He recorded one assist in three games with the Rangers, but had a much more respectable 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 66 games with the Wolf Pack.
Brisson's draft pedigree matters less than the skill Toronto is trying to recover
The former 29th overall pick has nine points in 27 career NHL games with the Rangers and Golden Knights but has amassed 145 points in 244 AHL games with both Henderson and Hartford - including 66 goals.
There is no word yet on if Brisson is going to be factored into the NHL or AHL lineup more, though he will likely get a strong look at camp where the team can evaluate his fit and decide later on.
But it's less about the statistical help than the actual potential he brings. As a former first-round pick, there's was a clear desire to add Brisson back then - and there's hope he can bring that talent to Toronto. He had 63 points in 62 games with the University of Michigan, and added 59 points in 45 games with the Chicago Steel of the USHL.
He's got the talent and ability to at least be a solid complementary piece to the bottom-six, and if he ends up with the Marlies, you're adding a proven AHL goal-scorer who is only in his mid-20s.
Toronto does not need Brisson to become a late-blooming star. If he can turn his AHL scoring into useful NHL depth, or simply give the Marlies another proven offensive option, the signing already has value at minimal risk.
Toronto can test Brisson without letting the experiment dictate its roster
It's a deal that gives the Maple Leafs a little bit more flexibility albeit at a limit. This is Toronto's 50th contract, which puts them at the maximum amount, so there may be a future deal in the works to clear space.
But even with that, his signing won't come at a cost that is detrimental to the Maple Leafs' future, and offers them a chance for him to add some help for cheap. He's not just jumping into a roster spot though with his youth, offensive upside, and given what Elite Prospects wrote about him in 2020 - he could be a future piece going forward:
He's the best problem-solving forward in the draft not named Alexis Lafrienière
For a team who had a lot of transition problems and weren't able to get out of their own end, adding someone who can alleviate those issues will be key in making the team an overall stronger and more balanced unit.
Toronto is taking a low-risk bet on Brisson not only because of his statistical output over the past few seasons, but because as a former first-round pick he does hold a certain pedigree that gives him the edge over other hopefuls.
It's just up to him to fight through the forward logjam in Toronto and earn himself a spot amidst a sea of hungry players.POLLDo you think Brendan Brisson will factor in to the Maple Leafs lineup in 2026-27?
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