Toronto Maple Leafs sign depth defenseman William Lagesson

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman William Lagesson has signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lagesson, taken 91st overall by Edmonton in 2014, has a bit of NHL experience in his career. He has zero goals and seven assists in 60 NHL games with Edmonton and Montreal, with his last NHL experience being a three-game stint with the Habs in 2022.

The 27-year-old blueliner played all year in the AHL, recording 10 goals and 32 points in 65 games with the Chicago Wolves. In 168 career games, Lagesson has 21 goals and 71 points over four years with Bakersfield and Chicago. Prior to turning pro, Lagesson had four goals and 15 points in 63 games with UMass.

Lagesson likely will factor into the AHL, with the Leafs having 11 defensemen under contract. Jake Muzzin is unlikely to return after missing nearly all of 2022-23 with injury, while Mark Giordano could be the odd-man out at points as a 39-year-old. Toronto has $4.593 million in projected cap space with new deals needed for Ilya Samsonov and Nick Abruzzese.