The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Friday that they had signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract. However, the arrival of the former Golden Knights first-round pick carries a hidden risk for the Toronto franchise.
The downside for the Leafs is that if Brisson, 24, doesn't get enough playing time this season, he could end up finding a new home, with general manager John Chayka having little room to prevent it.
According to Hockey Patrol analyst Charlie McAfee, given that Brisson is 24 years old but has appeared in just 27 career games, he could qualify as a Group 6 UFA once his contract is over.
If a player has fewer than 80 games played and is 25 or older while also having three professional seasons under his belt, then he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent instead of a restricted free agent (RFA).
That means Toronto would have much less control over the player's future once this one-year contract expires. In fact, as McAfee points out, the Maple Leafs would not even have the option of going to arbitration to find a solution.
Now, let's put things into context: Brisson, to begin with, apparently does not arrive as an option within the top six. However, he could gain more experience and playing time in the AHL with the Marlies, and a strong performance there could earn him one or more call-ups from head coach Jim Hiller so he can get NHL minutes.
That said, Brisson still needs 53 games to maintain RFA status after his contract with the Leafs expires, meaning an occasional call-up would not be enough for him to reach the necessary playing time for the Toronto franchise to maintain control over his future once the one-year contract ends.
This is particularly problematic because we are talking about a player who has a lot of talent and plenty of potential to break out sooner rather than later. At the end of the day, he is a former first-round pick who, for various reasons, has not found the consistency necessary to remain a regular in the NHL. However, his background indicates that the potential and talent are there.
A revamped Maple Leafs team sounds like an ideal scenario for him to rediscover his best version. However, if that happens and he still doesn't accumulate enough playing time, Toronto could risk losing him and watching him find a new home in the NHL.
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