The prodigal son returns.
The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their rampage through the depth forward section of the free agent market by locking down another potential contributor, agreeing to terms with Denis Malgin on a one-year contract worth $750,000.
Malgin last played in the NHL in 2019-20, suiting up in eight games for the Maple Leafs after arriving via trade midseason and going pointless while averaging a little over 10 minutes of ice time.
Prior to Malgin heading back over to his native Switzerland in 2020, the Maple Leafs actually tendered the diminutive forward a qualifying offer to retain his rights in the event that he returned to North America, with that move now paying off as Malgin rejoins the fold for 2022-23.
Despite having nearly 200 NHL games under his belt and spending the past two seasons overseas, Malgin is still just 25 years old and has a somewhat intriguing skill set that seemingly aligns with Toronto’s insistence on loading up their fourth-line with talented young players over veterans.
Malgin will be in tough to earn a roster spot for opening night at this point, given the Maple Leafs’ depth at the forward position. But as a depth option that could begin the season in the AHL and fill in whenever injuries or poor performance require it, Malgin is a decent bet, and by simply remaining in the organization, he could potentially recoup some of the value forfeited by the Leafs after trading away Mason Marchment in order to get him.
