Maple Leafs sign Brendan Brisson to 1-year contract

Brisson spent the majority of the 2025-26 campaign with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, posting 19 goals and 37 points. The 24-year-old also recorded an assist in three games with the New York Rangers. Brisson was selected 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Draft.

It constitutes an interesting bet for the Maple Leafs, looking to find real value from a 24-year-old who has shown some real scoring touch at the AHL level. Brisson has excelled at the international level for the United States, winning a gold medal at the 2021 World Juniors, and participated in the 2022 Winter Olympics, where he played alongside Matthew Knies. Toronto is looking to augment its under-25 pipeline with Knies, Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan at the forefront, with the club navigating two timelines.

Brisson will face an uphill battle for playing time at the NHL level, as the Maple Leafs currently carry a surplus of NHL-ready forwards, and will likely start the year with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the defending Calder Cup champions. He will push the incumbents for a bottom-six role, where his scoring touch and willingness to get to the net could bode well in camp battles. Brisson is listed as a centre, but he could also be pushed to the wing in a new role with the Maple Leafs organization. Although there will be stiff competition, the Maple Leafs will have open competition for a few spots, as new head coach Jim Hiller looks to propel the team back into the playoffs.

It should be noted that Brisson is the son of NHL agent Pat Brisson, who represents Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby among an extensive client list.