Toronto Maple Leafs announce signing of camp invitee to AHL contract

The 2024-2025 iteration of the Toronto Maple Leafs is set to look a lot different than it has in previous years. GM Brad Treliving added Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jani Hakanpaa, Anthony Stolarz, Max Pacioretty, and Steven Lorentz through free agency and hasn't wavered in his belief that the best team is a big team. Adding a no-nonsense head coach in Craig Berube and bringing in Marc Savard and Lane Lambert; it's a complete 180 from the Sheldon Keefe regime.

Well, the Maple Leafs keep on adding even with the regular season days away, announcing the team has signed defenseman Rhett Parsons to a two-year AHL contract. Parsons was signed during camp to an invite deal, playing in the Prospect Showcase against the Montreal Canadiens and clearly showing enough during training camp to play himself into a contract. GM Brad Treliving is still living up to his motto of "never having enough defensemen" and it's evident in recent months that's the new gameplan.

The 6'3, 213-pound defenseman has played the last four seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers, amassing 17 goals and 35 assists in 219 games. Parsons also has a total of 334 PIM in those games, many of them due to his knack for dropping the gloves, and using his towering frame to dominate his opponents.

He would add another bruising body to the Marlies alongside Noah Chadwick, William Villeneuve, and Tommy Miller; not to mention Cade Webber, Nathan Mayes, and Philippe Myers in the system as well. This is the type of team Treliving envisions the Maple Leafs to be and strives for them to be in the future, and will no doubt keep adding bodies like Parsons to solidify his depth.

It's a big step for Parsons towards securing an NHL job, and for the 21-year-old, the future is strong; much like Parsons himself.