28-year-old agrees to terms on a 1-year deal in Toronto
Things have slowed to a crawl for the Leafs since a flurry of early UFA signings on July 1st and 2nd provided the Leafs with a new-look supporting cast for the core 4. On July 1st, Ryan Reaves and John Klingberg were the two initial signings, with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi agreeing to terms on day two of free agency.
Since that point, the Leafs have announced several minor league signings, including Matthew Hellickson, Zach Solow and Keenan Suthers. They also came to terms on an entry-level contract for goaltending prospect Artur Akhtyamov. Now, we can add another name to the list in Joseph Blandisi, who will return to the Marlies next season.
The Leafs are at a bit of a standstill at the moment, due to Auston Matthews and William Nylander's contract situations. In addition, the Leafs are $8.8M over the cap with RFA netminder Ilya Samsonov left to sign. The fact of the matter is that until these issues are resolved, the Leafs may not make any more significant adds.
Even with the Leafs unable to make moves at the NHL level, the AHL roster needs can still be addressed. Blandisi, 28, has spent his last two seasons with the Marlies after spending the previous 7 seasons bouncing around between the AHL and NHL. He has suited up in games for New Jersey, Anaheim and Pittsburgh during his limited NHL career, tallying 10 goals and 31 points in 101 games.
Blandisi, a Markham, Ontario native, appeared in 61 games for the Leafs' AHL affiliate last season, scoring 15 goals and adding 24 assists for a total of 39 points.
