Report: Maple Leafs could take a run at signing Michael Pezzetta

AFP Analytics projects that Pezzetta would get a one-year contract with an AAV of $775K on the open market, suggesting that his actual contract would likely clock in at under a million dollars. This is about what one would expect a depth forward who may not get regular minutes would sign for, so the chances of this becoming a deal that any team would come to regret are really low.

As far as why the Leafs might be interested, the 27-year-old seems like the kind of forward who fits the mould of the DNA change that GM Brad Treliving is working to implement. Pezzetta plays with a lot of heart who will not shy away from physical contact and scraps, works hard, and is relentless on the forecheck. He is the prototypical grinder forward who is one-third of an energy fourth line that plays about eight minutes a night while giving it his all every single shift. This is why he has endeared himself to a lot of Montreal Canadiens fans despite not being a star player.

This could also be a way to bring in a player in a similar mould to Ryan Reaves, who is younger and would be a bit more useful. Part of why Reaves was brought in to begin with was to help instill a better culture behind the scenes while being a physical force on the ice. While he lived up to the former, it has become clear that his on-ice impact is limited to the point where he was put on waivers late in the 2024-25 season and spent the rest of the year in the AHL.

Pezzetta would be able to fulfill that role while also being someone that head coach Craig Berube would be more comfortable rotating in and out of the lineup. He is fresh off a season where he went scoreless in 25 games played while racking up 24 penalty minutes. The Toronto native was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, and he has recorded 38 points (15 goals and 23 assists) across 200 career games.

CF%	FF%	SF%	GF%	XGF%	SCF%	HDCF%	HDGF%	PDO
52.67	54.49	51.79	40.00	59.90	54.47	56.82	25.00	0.958

All stats at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick 

While it is unknown at the time of filing if the Leafs will indeed end up signing Pezzetta, LeBrun’s report suggests they will at the very least be in the running for his services.

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