Toronto Maple Leafs Officially Lose Rights To Unsigned Prospects After Signing Deadline Passes

As the 5 p.m. deadline on August 15th has ended for unsigned college prospects who have graduated, the Toronto Maple Leafs have not given contracts to prospects Wyatt Schingoethe and John Fusco, making both players officially free agents able to sign with any team.

Neither Schingoethe or Fusco gained new contracts, though they could still sign a deal with the Leafs or elsewhere in the organization, but as of right now are no longer affiliated with the team or in their prospect system.

Fusco, 24, was a seventh round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, selected 189th overall.

A senior at Dartmouth, Fusco was originally a commit to Harvard who spent his freshman year with the Crimson before spending his next three years at Dartmouth.

The 5'10 right-handed defenseman was a solid producer for the Big Green, with a respectable 11 goals and 21 points in 32 games played this season as a senior.

Fusco is a mobile defenseman who can score and plays with a good bit of energy, although he lacks the size and defensive power to be a surefire NHL prospect, although a pro contract in his future isn't impossible to imagine.

Schingoethe, 23, was a member of the NCAA Champion Western Michigan University Broncos, and scored a goal in the Championship game against Boston University.

The WMU senior had five goals and 11 points in 31 games in his fourth and final collegiate season.

Schingoethe, like Fusco, was a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, selected six picks later at 195th overall.

An undersized skill forward with raw upside, Schingoethe was part of a focus on skill from then-Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who relied more on potential than size.

Schingoethe was largely a bottom-six forward for the Broncos, and despite being an NHL draft pick and senior, he had not gotten a sizable amount of ice time.

For next year, the Toronto Maple Leafs have three players who will need to be signed or they will lose their rights.

The Leafs will need to sign 2024 seventh rounders Sam McCue and Nathan Mayes by June 1, 2026, and NCAA defenseman Joe Miller by August 15, 2026.