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The Toronto Maple Leafs took care of one of their unsigned free agents on Sunday, agreeing to a one-year, $2.25 million contract with winger Pierre Engvall, on the same day that the 26-year-old opted for salary arbitration. Engvall had 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 78 games last season and had three assists in seven games during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The deal is reasonable in terms of the salary for one year, but it walks Engvall to unrestricted free agency next summer.
It was imperative that the Leafs re-sign Engvall, in the wake of the departure of Ilya Mikheyev to Vancouver in free agency. The big winger will likely slot in on the club’s checking line with David Kampf and new addition Calle Jarnkrok, but the deal puts Toronto in a precarious position in regards to their cap status and the number of professional contracts.
According to Cap Friendly, the Leafs now at 48 players under contract and are nearly $1.5 million over the $82.5 million salary cap with defenseman Rasmus Sandin still unsigned. This means that GM Kyle Dubas will have to make a move or two to get under the cap.