The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they have signed four more players to their roster including the re-signing of AHL playoff leading scorer Vinni Lettieri.
Vinny Lettieri (F) | 1 Year,
Lettieri returning to the organization is an absolute no-brainer for management. The 31-year-old veteran was a driving force behind the Marlies’ incredible run to capture the 2026 Calder Cup last month, putting up a stellar 26 points in 23 playoff games and scoring the championship-clinching goal against Chicago. He returns on a projected league-minimum two-way deal, giving the Leafs an experienced, high-energy injury replacement option who has 155 games of NHL experience under his belt.
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Cole McWard (D) | 2 Years, $1.75 Million ($875,000 AAV)
This is where the contract structure gets interesting. According to PuckPedia, McWard has signed a straight one-way contract carrying an $875,000 annual average value. The 25-year-old right-handed defenseman split time in the Islanders system last year, getting a brief three-game look in the NHL. Giving a one-way designation to a player who will likely battle for a depth or Marlies spot shows Toronto sees a real upside in his puck-moving abilities—or at least wants to make him a more seamless option to carry on the main roster.
Henrik Rybinski (F) | 2 Years, $1.75 Million ($875,000 AAV)
Rybinski comes to Toronto with a ton of winning pedigree, having won back-to-back Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears in 2023 and 2024 before putting up 30 points last season. Per PuckPedia, his contract features a hybrid structure: it’s a two-way deal in the first year (with a minor-league salary cap hit of $450,000) that automatically converts into a one-way contract for the second season. He brings excellent minor-league utility and a heavy internal push for the bottom-six forward spots.
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Samuel Hlavaj (G) | 1 Year,
With the Leafs’ goaltending depth shuffling after the dramatic trade of Dennis Hildeby to Tampa Bay on July 1, the crease needed reinforcements. Hlavaj becomes an unrestricted free agent after Minnesota opted not to tender him a qualifying offer, and the Leafs jumped to sign him to a one-year, two-way flier. The 25-year-old Slovakian international struggled behind a weak Iowa team in the AHL last year, but raised eyebrows at the 2026 Winter Olympics, posting a highly respectable .908 save percentage against elite international competition. He figures to battle for reps in the Marlies’ crease.
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Nick Paul
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