The month of July is almost over and that means we are well into the quiet of the NHL offseason where news updates are more sporadic. But that doesn’t mean business doesn’t get done, as the Leafs got one of their depth players extended on Monday morning.
🖊 We’ve re-signed forward Nick Abruzzese to a two-year, two-way contract extension
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 31, 2023
Nick Abruzzese was tendered a qualifying offer from the Leafs prior to the start of free agency and the two sides agreed to a two-way contract that will run for the next two seasons at a $775K cap hit. It is worth mentioning that he will remain an RFA when this deal is done in 2025.
He is coming off his two-year entry level deal that he signed back in March 2022 after the conclusion of his second season of collegiate hockey with Harvard. Abruzzese appeared in two games with the Leafs were he registered two assists. Thus far in his professional career, he has played in 11 NHL games and recorded three points.
Abruzzese spent the majority of the previous campaign with the Marlies where he quickly emerged as one of the teams key offensive contributors. In 69 games, he produced 16 goals, 32 assists, and 48 points before adding seven points (two goals and fives assists) in seven playoff games.
This extension is well deserved given the strides that the 24-year-old has made in the past a year and half, and should find himself high on the call-up order should the Leafs run into injury trouble at forwards. I would imagine that Abruzzese gets a longer look at the NHL level in 2023-24 as a result.
The American winger was originally drafted in the fourth round, 124th overall, of the the 2019 NHL Draft.
Stats from Hockey-Reference.com.
Salary information from CapFriendly.
