Restricted free agent forward Joey Anderson signed a three-year contract extension today with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The contract carries a total value of $2.25 million and a $750,000 cap hit.
🖋️ Making it official
Joey Anderson has signed a three-year contract extension. #LeafsForever
Details: https://t.co/S31gokMdfc pic.twitter.com/R368JBp0gc
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 30, 2020
Joey Anderson Signs Extension With Maple Leafs
Anderson arrives as a Maple Leaf for the 2020-21 campaign after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils in October. He was the return for skilled forward Andreas Johnsson, who the Leafs were forced to trade due to salary cap concerns.
However, this quickly becomes a great contract for the Maple Leafs. The 22-year-old Anderson has 13 NHL points in 52 games spread across the last two seasons with Jersey. It works out to about 21 points over a full season, good enough for fourth-line duties. Anderson has even more room to grow, however. He’s been stellar in AHL play. He likely starts with the Toronto Marlies, but those second and third years of the deal could become extremely valuable if Anderson continues to progress. It’s a one-way contract, meaning the Leafs owe him the $750,000 salary no matter where he plays.
What This Means for the Future
Anderson was originally drafted in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Devils. A product of the United States National Team Development Program and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Anderson will at least challenge for an NHL role this season. He’s shown continuous growth from year to year since his draft season, and could actually project to a depth forward for Toronto long-term. It’s a pretty good return for Johnsson, all things considered, and general manager Kyle Dubas has worked his magic yet again with contracts. Anderson’s signing helps this team solidify its forward depth into next season and beyond.
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