The Toronto Maple Leafs sign Marshall Rifai to contract extension
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Marshall Rifai to a two-year deal with an average annual value of 775,000 dollars. The deal starts in the 2025-26 season according to the club.
Rifai is a left-hand shot defenceman who appeared in two games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He didn't record a point in either game he appeared in (Stats from NHL.com).
Rifai spent most of the season with the Marlies where he played 57 games, recording two goals and 17 assists for 19 points.
The Leafs signed Rifai as an undrafted free agent in 2023 on a two-year deal with an AAV of 775,000 (Salary stats from PuckPedia.com).
The Toronto Maple Leafs sign Marshall Rifai to contract extension
This signing is simply organizational depth. Rifai was called up last year when the Leafs were facing a couple of injuries to the blue line and played just over 11:30 in each game. He was one of the 13 different defensemen that dressed for the Leafs last year and that happens often in each season. While these signings are boring they are necessary.
What Rifai brings to a blue line is a physical option who skates pretty well. He isn't a small guy but he also isn't huge as he's listed at 6'2, 205 pounds.
He is very capable and not afraid of throwing his body around which he has shown when he plays. He also isn't afraid to drop the gloves if he needs to.
I've seen a lot of people wondering about Hakanpaa after Treliving talked about him on the July first press conference as if they had signed him. The Leafs have yet to officially announce the signing of Hakanpaa.
I don't have any inside information, but I can't see how this signing means anything in relation to Hakanpaa. Rifai was still under contract for this season, they just locked him up for two seasons after this one and they barely spent any money on Rifai.
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I believe we will get some clarity when the training camp opens on what is happening with Hakanpaa. From all reports, there might be some medical concerns with one of his knees. Eventually, somebody from the Leafs front office is going to have to tell reporters what is going on with that situation. It has been very quiet from the Leafs' side of things on this situation throughout the summer. We're going to see if he is or if he isn't on the team pretty soon with camp right around the corner.