The Maple Leafs have signed Brendan Brisson, adding another name to an already crowded mix of depth options.
Brisson is 24 and shoots left on the wing. He spent last season in the Rangers organization, moving between the AHL and NHL. He was originally taken by Vegas in the first round, 29th overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Before turning pro, Brisson built out a strong amateur resume. He played for the University of Michigan from 2020-22 and put up 63 points - 31 goals and 32 assists - in 62 games.
That run included a B1G Championship and B1G Second All-Star Team honors in 2022. In 2019-20, he was with the USHL’s Chicago Steel, where he scored 24 goals and added 35 assists in 45 games, earned USHL Rookie of the Year, and made both the USHL First All-Star Team and the USHL All-Rookie Team.
His international track record is solid, too. Brisson represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, scoring two goals in four games, and he was part of the gold-medal team at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he had two goals in seven games.
Brisson also has a Leafs connection through familiarity with Matt Knies, as both were on that 2022 U.S. Olympic team loaded with college players and AHLers.
There’s still some uncertainty about what Brisson becomes at the NHL level. The source material describes him as a high-IQ forward who has yet to carve out a regular NHL role, while noting that his AHL production has been strong. It also points out that he has not shown much defensive upside, which could make it harder for him to stick in an NHL lineup.
Because he is not waivers exempt, the expectation is that he should clear and begin the season with the Marlies, where he would be one of the few wingers on the roster with NHL experience.
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