The Maple Leafs announced they’ve signed defenseman Blake Smith to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Smith arrives in Toronto as an undrafted free agent through the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League. The 20-year-old lefty has been passed over in two straight drafts but is coming off an offensive breakout campaign in Flint, posting a career-high 10-22–32 scoring line with a +15 rating in 64 games in his final season of junior hockey.
Standing at 6’5″ and 225 lbs, Elite Prospects described Smith as an “overpowering physical presence” with good skating ability. Evidently, he didn’t do enough with the puck on his stick until this season to warrant NHL interest. Across his first 180 OHL games from 2021-22 through 2023-24, Smith had just three goals and 22 assists for 25 points with a -10 rating.
Now, the Leafs take a flyer on the Oshawa native following his fourth junior season. He turns 21 in October and is ticketed to spend 2025-26 either with AHL Toronto or ECHL Cincinnati, depending on how his training camp performance rubs the Leafs’ front office. He’s the second foray Toronto has made into undrafted free agency in the past few weeks out of the CHL, joining 21-year-old forward Borya Valis.
Smith is too old for his entry-level deal to be slide-eligible, so the contract will run from 2025-26 through 2027-28, regardless of how much NHL action he sees. He will be a restricted free agent upon expiry. Toronto now has 30 of their 50 contract slots filled for next season.