The Toronto Maple Leafs are staying busy, as they have signed another player in free agency.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs have signed center Colton Sissons to a two-year, $9 million contract. He will have a $4.25 million cap hit.
With the Maple Leafs’ center depth needing a boost, it makes sense that they have signed Sissons. The 32-year-old forward should be a nice addition to Toronto’s bottom six and penalty kill because of his solid two-way play and grit.
Sissons appeared in 66 games during this past season with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he recorded six goals, five assists, 11 points, and 93 hits.
Sissons Gives the Maple Leafs a Solid Defensive Center to Work With
The Maple Leafs did not sign Sissons with the expectation of him being a big offensive contributor. Instead, he provides his most value when it comes to his strong defensive play, success at the faceoff dots, and physicality. Because of this, he should be a perfect fit on the Maple Leafs’ third or fourth line now that he has been signed.
With the Maple Leafs trading two notable two-way centers in Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, it is clear that they need to add to their center depth. With that, it makes sense that they have brought in Sissons on this two-year deal. The veteran forward should serve as a strong replacement for Laughton in particular, as he plays a similar game to the former Maple Leaf.
Sissons will also give the Maple Leafs another clear option to work with on their penalty kill because of how impactful he is defensively. This is a major reason why the Maple Leafs signed the 12-year veteran forward, and he should be a key part of their roster next season because of it.
Sissons Is One Of Many New Maple Leafs Players
Sissons is not the only player who the Maple Leafs have brought in on July 1. In free agency, they have also signed Sergei Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, and Zack MacEwen. They have also acquired Nick Paul from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Dennis Hildeby, so it has undoubtedly been a busy July 1 for the Maple Leafs.
While the Maple Leafs have been making several moves, they should not be done yet. After how this past season went, they will be trying to prove that they can still be among the top teams in the Eastern Conference next offseason. Sissons is a player that Toronto will be relying on in their bottom six as they look to bounce back in 2026-27.
In 756 career NHL games split between the Nashville Predators and Golden Knights, Sissons has recorded 101 goals, 131 assists, 232 points, 269 penalty minutes, 1,233 hits, and a plus-7 rating. It will be interesting to see how much he can build upon these career stats after landing this nice two-year contract with Toronto. The potential for him to be a very good addition to the Maple Leafs’ roster is certainly there.
Maple Leafs Sign Veteran Center to $8.5M Contract