The Maple Leafs kept working the margins Friday, and one of the more interesting names to land in the organization was defenseman Ben Meehan.
Toronto’s latest wave of signings has leaned heavily toward depth, not splash. The club has been adding pieces to round out the bottom of the roster, and the Marlies were busy again as Sam Stevens and Ken Appleby returned while Matt Copponi, Matt Anderson, Ross Mitton and Sawyer Boulton were also brought in. But Meehan stands out from the group.
Meehan, 24, comes off a huge season with the Reading Royals, where he put up 46 points in 69 games with 12 goals and 34 assists. That kind of production made him one of the ECHL’s top rookie defensemen, and it came in his first season in pro hockey after the Los Angeles Kings, who took him 140th overall in 2020, did not bring him back.
Before turning pro, Meehan spent five seasons at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and totaled 68 points in 145 games. He also followed his father Scott to the same school and wore the captain’s “C” in his final two years.
What Toronto is getting is an offensive defenseman with movement, touch and a little bit of bite. Meehan’s game is built around quick reads and fast decisions, and he can make opponents pay with deception from the left point. The source material describes him as someone who uses body-feints and faked shots to freeze forecheckers and open up play down the right side.
The Leafs have had some success before with players who came through the system and carved out useful roles, with Vinni Lettieri standing out and Henry Thrun and Matt Benning providing value on the blue line. Toronto is clearly hoping Meehan can offer a similar blend of offense and leadership.
That part matters. Meehan already brings captain experience, and he is still only 25, which leaves room for more growth if his 2025-26 season is a sign of what’s coming next. If he keeps building on that breakout, Toronto may have found a real bargain.
There’s also a path where he ends up with Cincinnati, Toronto’s ECHL affiliate. That said, the organization already has plenty of defenders in the mix, including Noah Chadwick and Ben Danford, along with NCAA signings Hayes Hundley and Vinny Borgesi.
So Meehan may not be guaranteed an immediate spot, and he might not start right away. But he gives Toronto another mobile defender with offensive upside, and that’s clearly a profile the organization likes to stockpile.
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