Connor Dewar has signed a new contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The deal sees him earn $1.18 million for the 2024-25 season. Dewar was one of the 14 players in the league to file for arbitration. However, everyone is excited as they were able to agree to an extension with the club before the arbitration date hit. Toronto had a total of four RFA’s to deal with this summer, each player had their own route. Timothy Liljegren re-signed for two more years at $3M AAV, although, there are rumours that he could be traded. Speaking of trades, 22-year-old forward, Nick Robertson requested a trade out of Toronto. However, it doesn’t look like Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving will grant that wish. Finally, Noah Gregor was the remaining RFA, and the Maple Leafs decided to release him. He ended up being signed by their provincial rival, the Ottawa Senators.
#Leafs have signed Connor Dewar: 1x$1.18M
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) July 23, 2024
Dewar Signs New Contract
Dewar played 17 games last season for the Maple Leafs. In that span, he scored one goal and five points. He was traded to Toronto from Minnesota at the deadline. Dewar was a solid player for the Wild and still has the capabilities to prove to the Leafs that he can be a good player for them. Before he became a Leaf, he scored 10 goals and 14 points in 57 games. Those numbers are fairly respectable for a player who doesn’t prioritize scoring. As the season went on, Dewar would get more and more ice time, especially once he met Sheldon Keefe with the Leafs. In Toronto, he averaged almost 13 minutes to finish the campaign, a career-high for the Manitoba native.
Expecting More Next Season
As mentioned, Dewar isn’t a player known for his outstanding offensive skills and scoring ability. However, he is helpful to have in the lineup and Treliving clearly thought that the Leafs could use him. At 5-on-5, Dewar can be found along the walls or behind the opposition’s net, working the puck along the boards. As he is a third or fourth-line player, he’s typically not sharing the ice with immense offensive talent. Therefore, cycling the puck is key to having a positive shift.
On the defensive side, he is very dependable. Only four Maple Leaf forwards finished the season with more blocks than Dewar, and those ahead of him get far more ice time. Not to mention, he is a threat while killing penalties. Although he only scored one shorthanded goal last season, the season before that he finished with four shorthanded points. With all this in mind, Toronto’s left-side will be a bit weaker than last year now that they lost Tyler Bertuzzi to the Chicago Blackhawks via free agency. Meaning that there is a chance for Dewar to impress Craig Berube, the new bench boss in Toronto.
Main photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
