Brandon Duhaime Making the Maple Leafs Harder to Play Against
The Maple Leafs didn't go looking for another scorer when free agency opened. Instead, they added another player who fits the identity they've been building over the past couple of seasons. Toronto signed Brandon Duhaime to a three-year, $7.8 million contract ($2.6 million AAV), bringing in a winger whose game is built around effort, physical play, and doing the little things that coaches appreciate. He's not the kind of player fans buy a ticket to watch, but he's often the kind of player contenders are happy to have when the games start to matter.
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Duhaime plays a no-nonsense game and will add to the bottom six.
Duhaime spent the past two seasons with the Washington Capitals, where he didn’t miss a game, dressing for all 82 contests in each season. That kind of durability carries real value on its own. Last year, he scored four goals and added five assists, but that's not really why Toronto signed him.
At 6-foot-2 and about 210 pounds, Duhaime plays a straight-ahead style built on physicality and effort. He finishes his checks, gets in quickly on the forecheck, kills penalties, blocks shots, and doesn't mind stirring things up after the whistle. His 159 hits and 78 penalty minutes tell you plenty about the style he brings. He's also a better skater than people sometimes give him credit for, which means he can keep up with today's faster game while still making opponents pay.
Duhaime’s signing highlights the new Maple Leafs leadership’s desire to build depth.
This signing says as much about John Chayka’s vision as it does about Duhaime himself. Ever since taking over, he’s been adding players who fill specific roles. In Duhaime, he gains some depth without sacrificing speed. He gives new head coach Jim Hiller another player he can trust on the penalty kill, another winger who can protect a lead late in games, and another body that's willing to battle along the boards every shift.
He probably won't score many goals, and that's not his role. If he gives the team honest minutes, throws his weight around, and helps wear opponents down over the course of a game—or a playoff series—he'll be doing exactly what Toronto signed him to do. Sometimes the players you notice the least in October are the ones you're most grateful to have in May.