The Toronto Maple Leafs are not done reshaping their roster. Not even close.
General manager John Chayka, who has been busy since taking over, added two more forwards on the opening day of free agency. The Leafs signed veteran center Colton Sissons to a two-year deal with a $4.25 million cap hit per season, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. They also inked Teddy Blueger to a two-year contract at $2.5 million per year.
That’s a lot of new names in the middle of the ice for Toronto. And it follows earlier moves that brought in defenseman Darren Raddysh and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Chayka is clearly trying to build a deeper, more experienced group up front.
Sissons is the bigger name here, and the bigger investment. The 32-year-old spent 12 seasons with the Nashville Predators after they drafted him in the second round back in 2012. He made his NHL debut in 2013 and eventually became a key part of Nashville’s leadership group. He was there for the Predators’ only Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017, putting up six goals and six assists in 22 playoff games that spring. They lost to Pittsburgh in six.
Last offseason, Nashville traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. In 66 games with Vegas he scored six goals and five assists. The Golden Knights made it to the Final again, but fell to the Carolina Hurricanes. Sissons had two goals and two helpers in 22 postseason games that time around.
Over his 756-game NHL career, Sissons has 101 goals and 131 assists. Not a flashy producer, but the kind of reliable two-way center teams want in their bottom six. Toronto is betting he can bring that steady presence and playoff experience to a team that has struggled to get over the hump.
Blueger’s path is a little different. Drafted 52nd overall by the Penguins in 2012, he spent his early years in Pittsburgh before getting traded to Vegas. He won a Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023. Then he signed with Vancouver as a free agent, inked a two-year extension, and now he’s on the move again.
The 30-year-old has 58 goals and 111 assists in 453 career NHL games. He’s not going to light up the score sheet, but he kills penalties and wins faceoffs. That’s what the Leafs are paying for.
Toronto’s forward group suddenly looks a lot deeper than it did 48 hours ago. Whether that depth translates into playoff success remains to be seen. But Chayka isn’t waiting around to find out.
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