The Maple Leafs just signed a second right shot defenseman in two days to fix the depth from the AHL up
The Toronto Maple Leafs added some serious offensive firepower on the blueline as they continue to grow their prospect pipeline as they signed University of Maine defender Frank Djurasevic to a two-year AHL deal on Saturday.
While it wasn't the big club announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies revealed that they had signed Djurasevic to a two-year deal with him joining the team right away on an amateur tryout.
Who is Frank Djurasevic and why did multiple NHL teams want him
Djurasevic, 24, is a dual citizen of Canada and the US and has spent the last two seasons with Maine where he shone brightly. In 72 games he had 42 points and a plus-24 rating; he also spent a year at Merrimack College where he had 10 points in 35 games.
A right-handed shot, he's yet another offensive defenceman that Toronto has signed in addition to Vincent Borgesi, and their second in as many days after signing Hayes Hundley to a contract on Friday.
While he is a little bit older, there is a good reason too as to why Djurasevic was signed. The Marlies are dealing with a lot of injuries as they head into the postseason so having as much insurance as possible is key; and Djurasevic sure offers that.
Plus, for Toronto needing someone who isn't afraid to shoot — Djurasevic solves that in spades:
Hundley and Djurasevic give Treliving two right shot prospects the Leafs system didn’t have a week ago
There's a lot of discussion about how the Maple Leafs can make serious changes to their back end and clearly they are loading up to find their next diamond in the rough.
Hundley is a towering presence at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds and loves to be physical while also offering some decent offensive production, meanwhile Djurasevic is someone who could be their second PP quarterback and secondary puck-mover.
So we can kind of compare what these players are going to be like in terms of current roster. Hayes is like Jake McCabe — a shutdown defender who can give you points, play tough, blocks shots, throw hits, and be aware.
Now Djurasevic could be seen as the right-handed version of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and while he's not that elite presence that OEL was in his early career, he's a great comparison. Both are bigger offensive-minded players who are solid on defence and Djurasevic is 10 years younger.
But the main focus has to be the handedness. Toronto seems to enjoy employing left-handed shots on the right side and while certain guys can do that, there needs to be more balance.
Add Vincent Borgesi into the mix and that's three right-handed shots to slide into the lineup going forward and the team who desperately needs some offensive help has a sudden influx of new talent.
For all of Brad Treliving's faults, you can't deny that he views the NCAA as the best chance to rebuild the Maple Leafs and from the deals he's making — he's doing a pretty good job you have to admit.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 28|893 ANSWERS The Maple Leafs just signed a second right shot defenseman in two days to fix the depth from the AHL up Will the Maple Leafs call up Frank Djurasevic for next season? | ||
| Yes | 473 | 53 % |
| No | 420 | 47 % |
| List of polls | ||