The Maple Leafs have signed free agent center Jay McClement to a two year, $3 Million deal.
The 29 year old McClement scored 10 goals and 8 assists in 80 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season.
After spending his first six seasons with the St. Louis Blues, McClement was sent to the Avs along with defenseman Erik Johnson for forward Chris Stewart and blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk.
The 6’1” 200 lb McClement would appear to be the first in a number of moves to address the club’s lack of size at forward.
Toronto also signed free agent 27 year old minor league defenseman Mike Kostka away from the Tampa organization to a one year deal. Kostka was part of the Calder Cup winning Norfolk Admirals last season and scored the fluke overtime goal in Game Three of the Calder Cup Finals.
The Leafs have locked up restricted free agent Matt Frattin to a two year, one way deal for $1.7 Million and inked minor leaguers Ryan Hamilton and goalie Jussi Rynnas to two-way one year contracts.
Per Mapleleafs.com:
Kostka, 27, was a member of this season’s AHL Calder Cup winning Norfolk Admirals. The 6-1, 200-pound native of Etobicoke, Ontario split the 2011-12 regular season between Norfolk and San Antonio playing in 70 games and collecting 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) with 57 penalty minutes. In the playoffs he led all AHL defencemen in scoring with 12 points on six goals and six assists. Kostka has played 307 career AHL games tallying 150 points (31 goals, 119 assists) with 175 penalty minutes.
Frattin, 24, split the 2011-12 season between the Maple Leafs and the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. The 6-0, 200-pound winger played 56 games for the Leafs, collecting 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) and 25 penalty minutes. He recorded his first NHL point with an assist October 24 at Philadelphia and scored his first NHL goal November 19 vs. Washington. Frattin also appeared in 23 regular season games with the Marlies, collecting 18 points (14 goals, four assists) with 20 penalty minutes, and 13 playoff games where he led the team in goals (10) and game-winning goals (3), and was second in points (13).
Hamilton, 27, played two games with the Maple Leafs last season, making his NHL debut and collecting an assist March 23 at New Jersey. The 6-2, 219-pound forward also appeared in 74 games with Marlies, leading the team in goals (25) and powerplay goals (11), and finishing second in points (51). Hamilton, the Marlies team captain and an AHL All-Star last season, added two goals and three assists in 17 playoff games with the Marlies.
Rynnas, 25, spent time with the Maple Leafs, Marlies and ECHL’s Reading Royals in 2011-12. He played in two games with the Leafs, including his NHL debut March 27 vs. Carolina and his first NHL start March 29 vs. Philadelphia. The 6-5, 212-pound goaltender also recorded an 11-9-1 record with three shutouts, a 2.55 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 22 games with the Marlies.
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