The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another name to the goaltending depth chart, signing Erik Kallgren to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $750K at the NHL level.
Kallgren, 24, was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015 and actually did sign his entry-level contract, but left the organization in 2019. His contract was terminated and he returned to Sweden, where he just recently led Vaxjo to an SHL title. Kallgren was dominant in the playoffs, posting a .937 save percentage in ten games and registering a goals-against average of just 1.74.
Interestingly, Kallgren signed a two-year deal with Frolunda in the SHL just a few days ago, which confuses things a bit. It could mean that the Maple Leafs have agreed to loan him back to Sweden for the time being, signing him only to grab his restricted free agent rights, or perhaps he had a change of heart. It will be interesting to see where he starts the 2021-22 season.
The Maple Leafs would have had quite a few looks at the big goaltender, given their interest in one of his teammates. Pontus Holmberg, who was named playoff MVP on the championship Vaxjo squad, is a Toronto draft pick himself.
Coyotes will be howling for letting him go…
The Leafs were falling all over themselves to sign him