Nick Blankenburg: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Maple Leafs Blue Line Shuffle: Injuries Open the Door

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of changes to make on the blue line, and sometimes those developments are worth watching more closely than the transaction list suggests.

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Leafs place Nick Blankenburg on injured reserve

The Toronto Maple Leafs have taken another loss on their blueline. On Friday, Leafs defenseman Nick Blankenburg was placed on injured reserve. Toronto has also placed defenseman Marshall Rifai on injured reserve.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Professor Press Box / October 12

Maple Leafs Nick Blankenburg Earned a Bigger Chance

Sometimes the best compliment you can give a defenceman is that you didn't notice him. That was my reaction to Nick Blankenburg during the Toronto Maple Leafs' 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / October 11

Nick Blankenburg is unfazed by stretch of scratches after scoring first Maple Leafs goal

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Nick Blankenburg probably didn’t deserve to ride the pine for the Leafs’ first five games, and he wasted no time proving that he deserved a spot in the lineup in his debut against the Colorado Avalanche.

Alexander Ovechkin News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Most goals in NHL history' quiz

How many of the 22 players in NHL history with at least 600 career goals can you name in five minutes?

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The '2026-27 NHL captains' quiz

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / October 10

Nick Blankenburg to make Maple Leafs debut vs. Avalanche, team to run 11 forwards and 7 defencemen

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Nick Blankenbrug is set to make his debut with the team on Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche. Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller confirmed the lineup change when speaking to reporters before the game.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The biggest draft bust for every NHL team

People love a good mid-round draft pick that pans out, and in the NHL you used to see those fairly often, but that’s obviously partially luck. If the Red Wings thought Nicklas Lidstrom was going to become a top-five defenseman in history, they wouldn’t have waited until the 53rd pick to take him.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / October 8

What’s it going to take for the Maple Leafs to give Nick Blankenburg a look?

Nick Blankenburg signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs just before the season started after inking a professional tryout with them not long before that.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 28

What does a successful 2026-27 season look like for Nick Blankenburg?

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a smart add when they were able to get defenceman Nick Blankenburg signed to a PTO at the start of training camp. He had quietly been proving himself as a reliable third-pairing guy who can play a solid two-way game, be slotted at either side, and can be utilized on all special teams when needed.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 27

Maple Leafs sign defenceman Nick Blankenburg to 1-year contract worth $1.4M

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenceman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year contract, the team confirmed on Sunday. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed by the team, but Blankenburg reportedly signed a pact worth $1.4 million, according to PuckPedia.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The defining figure for every NHL franchise

People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Daily Faceoff / September 27

Leafs sign Nick Blankenburg to one-year contract

A blueliner has earned himself a new deal coming out of training camp. On Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that the team has signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 19

Nick Blankenburg discusses new outlook on life in hockey following 2025-26 season

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Nick Blankenburg feels about the opportunity presented after he signed a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the team.

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The 'World Series managers' quiz

The 'Last 300-yard game by NFL team' quiz

The 'ALCS MVPs' quiz

The 'Most NBA games played' quiz

NHL News / The Hockey Writers / September 16

Nick Blankenburg’s PTO Could Be Underrated Move for Maple Leafs

Training camp for the Toronto Maple Leafs is about to get underway as well as the 2026-27 season. There was a slew of offseason changes for the Maple Leafs, especially on defense where the emphasis was more mobility and speed on the backend.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / The Hockey Writers / September 14

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Borgesi, Blankenburg, Andrae & a Smaller Defence?

A theme has developed around the Toronto Maple Leafs this past week: small defencemen. That isn’t the first phrase that comes to mind when looking at the kind of blue line general manager John Chayka appears to be building in Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Professor Press Box / September 13

The Maple Leafs Give a Hard-Working Player Another Chance

There are certain hockey players who seem to spend their entire careers answering the same question: Are you good enough? Nick Blankenburg has been one of those players.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 13

Latest Maple Leafs signing could mean a trade is coming

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a late-summer splash by signing defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a professional try-out (PTO). The 5-foot-9, right-handed blueliner is going to attend training camp next week and will be hoping to secure a contract out of it.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / The Hockey Writers / September 13

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Haymes & Blankenburg Battling for a Chance

There’s something interesting happening around the Toronto Maple Leafs as training camp approaches. The big names and big contracts will get most of the attention, as they always do, but some of the more revealing stories are coming from players who aren’t guaranteed anything.

NHL News / TheLeafsnation / September 13

Why bringing in Nick Blankenburg on a PTO makes sense for Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a smart move by reportedly bringing in defenceman Nick Blankenburg on a professional tryout contract (PTO), according to The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 12

Maple Leafs may have just made the best move of the NHL offseason

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced the signing of defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) on Saturday. The move, which would otherwise go down as an uneventful depth move, could actually turn out to be a savvy, under-the-radar move.

Colorado Avalanche News / Daily Faceoff / September 12

Report: Leafs sign Nick Blankenburg to PTO

The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing another defenseman into the mix for training camp. According to a report from the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, the Leafs have signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a professional tryout contract.

NHL News / TheLeafsnation / September 12

Report: Maple Leafs sign defenceman Nick Blankenburg to PTO

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly signed defenceman Nick Blankenburg to a professional tryout contract (PTO), according to The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont.

NHL News / Pro Hockey Rumors / September 12

Maple Leafs Expected To Invite Nick Blankenburg To Training Camp

With training camps now only a few days away from getting underway, we’ll likely start to see an uptick in tryout contracts in the near future. It appears one of those will come from the Maple Leafs as Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reports that defenseman Nick Blankenburg will attend training camp with Toronto.

NHL News / Pro Hockey Rumors / September 8

Senators defenseman Artem Zub still recovering from postseason injury

The Ottawa Senators are monitoring a few injuries headed into training camp.

The 'D-Man 4-assist playoff games' quiz

Colorado Avalanche News / Pro Hockey Rumors / August 28

Free Agent Profile: Nick Blankenburg

This summer has featured a somewhat unusual free agency period. The sharp rise in the salary cap has pushed player price tags up in a general sense, but that windfall hasn’t extended to every point in the player market.

NHL News / Daily Faceoff / August 28

Four under-the-radar PTO candidates for NHL teams to consider

We’re almost into the month of September, and in the NHL, that usually means two things: training camps are around the corner, and PTO season is about to begin in earnest.

Six potential trade destinations for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck

Will Auston Matthews find a second gear later in his career?

Chris Pronger believes NHLers should have more control over their careers

Top Vezina Trophy candidates for 2026

Ranking the Western Conference's biggest winners this summer

Ranking the Eastern Conference's biggest winners this summer

NHL News / The Hockey Writers / March 5

Avalanche Made a Solid Move by Adding Blankenburg

The Colorado Avalanche have been busy since the Olympic break ended. They made another move on Wednesday, adding veteran defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 fifth-round pick.