The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed goaltender Jhonas Enroth to one year, $750,000 contract on Monday, finally confirming reports out of Sweden last month that the club had interest in free agent.
The 28-year-old was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2006 and has showed that he could handle more than the traditional 15 to 20 game duties of a backup goalie.
In 2014-15, Enroth split duties with Michal Neuvirth in Buffalo and played so well that GM Tim Murray had to deal the pending UFA to prevent the Sabres from not finishing 30th overall and having the best odds at winning the NHL Draft Lottery.
Enroth finished the year with Dallas and signed as a free agent with Los Angeles last summer, but only played in 16 games as the backup to Jonathan Quick.
The Stockholm native has experience facing foes in the Atlantic Division from his long tenure with Buffalo and provides a steadying veteran presence to backup Frederik Andersen.
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GM Lou Lamoriello confirmed during an interview on FAN 590 that the club has extended professional tryouts to veteran winger Brandon Prust.
Sportsnet's Chris Johnston also reports that the club has added defenseman Raman Hrabarenka on a PTO as well.
The 32-year-old Prust has played with five NHL clubs (Calgary, Phoenix, New York, Montreal and Vancouver) and split last season between the Canucks and their AHL affiliate in Utica. Hrabarenka is a 23-year-old native of Belarus who was signed by Lamoriello in New Jersey in 2013. The 6'4" 230 lb blueliner has played mostly in Albany.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced the promotion of current Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter to Assistant General Manager.
Hunter, who received wide acclaim for the Maple Leafs excellent 2015 Draft class, was co-interim GM along with Kyle Dubas last spring after the dismissal of Dave Nonis and before the hiring of Lou Lamoniello and will have similar responsibilities to Dubas going forward.
“Mark's new title is essentially a formality as these are duties he’s already been performing,” Lamoriello said in a press release. “Brendan and I have been discussing this change of title since last season – as it’s a more appropriate recognition of Mark's role with the organization since joining the Maple Leafs. There are no changes to Mark or Kyle’s duties, or to that of Brandon Pridham, Assistant to the General Manager.”
Hunter's responsibilities will be to oversee the club's pro and amateur scouting and player evaluation.
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