Dylan Gambrell
Age: 27
Height/Weight: 6′, 185 LBS
Contract: $775 K cap-hit, expires end of this season.
Draft: 2nd Round, 60th overall, 2016, San Jose Sharks.
Acquired: UFA
Role: Depth Forward
Career Highs: 5 Goals, 12 Points in 49 Games 2020-21 Sharks
Last Year’s Scoring: 4 Goals, 10 Points 60 Games, Ottawa Senators
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 4 Goals, 10 Points 0.88 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 38% ; Shots-For 40%; Scoring-Chances-For 36% Goals-For 31% Expected Goals 34%
Status: AHL Player
Expectations: For me to figure out why the Leafs signed him.
Notes: When the Toronto Maple Leafs already have Alex Steeves, Nick Abruzzese, Pontus Holmberg, Nick Robertson, Kyle Clifford and several other borderline NHL options, why they decided to give a 27 year old who has posted only atrocious numbers is beyond me.
Why that contract would be guaranteed and not a PTO or a two-way deal is a further mystery.
Like Reaves, Domi and Klingberg, Gambrell’s signing is mysterious because he doesn’t have any recent history of winning his 5v5 minutes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made an annoying habit of blocking their prospects with mid-range fringe NHLers (Malgin, Ritchie, Lafferty) for years.