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Brett Leason

Washington Capitals Sign, Send Down Brett Leason

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Oct. 28: Leason has cleared waivers and has been loaned to Hershey, the team announced.

Oct. 27: The Washington Capitals are bringing back a familiar face to the organization. According to a team announcement, the Capitals have signed forward Brett Leason to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K. The team subsequently placed him on waivers to eventually reassign him to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

It’s been several years since Leason last suited up for the Bears. Leason, selected 56th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, debuted with Hershey in the 2019-20 season after an impressive year with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. During his last campaign with the Raiders, the Calgary native scored 36 goals and 89 points in 55 games and another 10 goals and 25 points in 20 postseason appearances.

Unfortunately, Leason’s skill level didn’t transfer to the professional circuit for some time. Throughout his three years with the Bears, he put up relatively modest production, scoring 18 goals and 47 points in 114 games. During a brief run with the Capitals back in the 2021-22 campaign, Leason only registered three goals and six points in 36 contests.

Leason received a separate opportunity one year later, when the Anaheim Ducks claimed him off waivers before the start of the 2022-23 campaign. He became much more productive in an expanded role with Anaheim, scoring 22 goals and 48 points in 184 games while averaging 12:23 of ice time per night. Unfortunately, as they graduated more talent to the NHL level, the Ducks made Leason an unrestricted free agent this offseason when they opted not to extend a qualifying offer to him.

Today’s contract becomes the third one signed by Leason since the beginning of the offseason. He began training camp on a professional tryout agreement with the Minnesota Wild. After that didn’t work out, he has been practicing with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on a similar tryout agreement.

Brett Leason Signs AHL PTO With Charlotte

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Last season, unrestricted free agent winger Brett Leason saw some regular action with Anaheim, primarily slotting in on their fourth line.  However, no firm contract has come his way just yet so to get back on the ice and playing, he has signed a PTO contract with AHL Charlotte (affiliate of the Panthers), per a team release.

The 26-year-old played in 62 games with the Ducks last season where he notched five goals and 12 assists in just under 13 minutes a night of playing time.  That output was a little below his 2023-24 output when he had 11 goals and 11 helpers in 68 contests.  While Leason was non-tendered at that time to avoid arbitration, he quickly re-signed a one-year, $1.05MM contract.  This past summer, Anaheim simply non-tendered him and moved on.

Leason took part in training camp with Minnesota on a PTO agreement and got into four games with them where he was held off the scoresheet before being let go at the end of September, sending him back to the open market.

This will be Leason’s first taste of AHL action in a while.  The last time he saw time in the minors was back in 2021-22 with Hershey when he was still in Washington’s system.  He has 18 goals and 29 assists in 114 games over parts of three seasons at that level and will look to have a strong showing there to help lock down a guaranteed contract for the rest of the season.

Mats Zuccarello Out “Minimum” Of Seven To Eight Weeks

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While the Wild ensured one top-six winger will be staying with the club long-term earlier today, they’ve lost another in the short term. The team confirmed Mats Zuccarello will miss a “minimum” of seven to eight weeks with the lower-body injury that’s sidelined him for all of training camp so far.

There was concern Zuccarello would miss the start of the regular season back at the beginning of camp. This is a bit more significant than just the start of the season, though. A seven-to-eight-week timeline from today puts his most optimistic return date on Nov. 18, by which Minnesota will have already played a quarter of its season. In all likelihood, it could be Thanksgiving or even further down the calendar until he’s able to make his season debut.

Now 38 years old, the 5’8″ Zuccarello has kept up his reputation as a consistent top-six scorer in what should be his twilight years. The Norwegian forward ranked fourth on the team with a 19-39–54 scoring line in 69 appearances last year, his sixth in Minnesota after first signing there as a free agent in 2019. While injuries have remained a concern – he hasn’t hit the 70-game mark in the past two years – he’s clicked above expectations since signing with the Wild and has scored at a 70-point clip per 82 games during his time there.

That’s a sizable absence in the scoring department, especially considering he still averaged over 19:30 of ice time per game last year. While he’s spent a good portion of his tenure in St. Paul opposite Kirill Kaprizov on the top line, Matt Boldy ended up getting that job in the playoffs last year after Kaprizov returned from surgery. Zuccarello dropped down to a middle-six role with Marcus Johansson and Frédérick Gaudreau, the latter of whom has since been traded to the Kraken. Since he hasn’t been in camp, it’s hard to predict where the Wild planned on slotting him this season, but it likely would have been in second-line duties while keeping the top line loaded with Boldy.

Zuccarello’s top-six vacancy could mean increased opportunity for veteran Vladimir Tarasenko to start the year. The Wild picked him up from the Red Wings for future considerations over the summer after the four-time All-Star had just 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games for Detroit. The Wild are now his sixth team in the last four years, but he could get a shot at second-line duties with Joel Eriksson Ek as his centerman. There’s also a clear path for one of the Wild’s recent first-rounders, namely Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov, to snag top-nine roles as they look to establish themselves as full-timers.

One player who won’t be getting an opportunity in the lineup is 220-game veteran Brett Leason. He was released from his PTO today, the club announced. He had a 5-12–17 scoring line in 62 games for the Ducks last year before being non-tendered.

Wild Sign Brett Leason To Professional Tryout

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The Wild have signed right-winger Brett Leason to a professional tryout, according to a team release.

Leason, 26, was a second-round pick by the Capitals back in 2019 after being passed over twice in the draft. He made his NHL debut in Washington two years later. While his offensive production on the farm for the Caps wasn’t particularly impressive, it was clear his defensive acumen and checking ability were strong enough, coupled with his 6’5″, 220-lb frame, to create a niche for himself in a bottom-six role in the NHL.

Leason averaged just 8:57 per game across 36 appearances in that first taste of NHL hockey with Washington, recording six points, 14 blocks, and 16 hits. He wasn’t killing penalties, but he was used primarily in defensive situations at even strength, responding with strong possession numbers like a 52.2 CF% and a 55.1 xGF% for his role.

Washington rewarded Leason, a pending RFA at the time, with a two-year, one-way deal to indicate they expected him on the roster going forward. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite make the cut for their opening night roster in 2022-23. He ended up on waivers and was claimed by the Ducks.

Slowly but surely, Leason established himself as an NHL regular in Anaheim. He served as a fine depth option for them over the past three years, never getting more than 70 appearances in a season but never fewer than 50. The 2023-24 campaign was something of a breakout for him, recording 11 goals and 22 points in 68 showings while seeing frequent PK deployment for the first time and averaging north of 13 minutes per game. While the Ducks non-tendered him that June, they ended up bringing him back anyway on a one-year, $1.05MM deal in free agency.

Leason met that same non-tender fate this summer. While his usage stayed the same, averaging just around 13 minutes per night, his offensive production slipped to five goals and 17 points in 62 games. He was also a frequent healthy scratch down the stretch, only appearing in three of Anaheim’s final 12 games of the season as they looked to give NHL reps to some younger talent.

At first glance, Leason’s possession numbers in Anaheim weren’t great, but they need a little more context. The Ducks have been one of the worst two-way teams in the league during his tenure, and his defensive workload at even strength peaked this past season with a 70.5 dZS%. Despite that, Anaheim still controlled 41.0% of shot attempts with Leason on the ice – only a relative decrease of 4.6% from when he wasn’t out there – and his 42.5 xGF% was the best he’d posted in a Ducks jersey.

His lack of usage down the stretch was a clear indicator he wasn’t in the Ducks’ long-term plans anyway, but he did enough last season to prove some legitimate utility as a bottom-six checking winger with a bit of a scoring touch. In that sense, it’s a tad surprising there wasn’t more interest in his services on a guaranteed deal earlier in the offseason.

Nonetheless, he now heads to St. Paul to try to earn a contract and a roster spot. The Wild beefed up their forward depth by retaining Marcus Johansson and adding Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and Nico Sturm in free agency, while recent first-rounders Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov are also well-positioned to land expanded roles (or simply an NHL debut, in Yurov’s case). There may not be a huge chance for him to skate in Minnesota’s opening night lineup unless an injury creates a hole, but there is a pathway for him to beat out a name like Aubé-Kubel, who was on waivers last season and cleared, for a spot on the 23-player active roster.

Brett Leason Receiving KHL Interest

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A later entrant to this year’s UFA market, Brett Leason hasn’t been able to secure a contract in the first three weeks of free agency.  But while the NHL interest might not be materializing, it appears he may have some options in Russia, as Sport-Express’s Artur Khairullin reports (Telegram link) that the winger is of interest to some KHL clubs.  It’s unclear if the interest is mutual or if Leason’s intention is to remain in North America next season.

The 25-year-old spent the last three seasons with Anaheim after they claimed him off waivers from Washington in 2022.  In 2023-24, Leason had a career year, notching 11 goals and 11 assists in 68 games.  The Ducks non-tendered him to avoid giving him arbitration rights but quickly re-signed him to a one-year, $1.05MM contract.

However, last season didn’t go anywhere near as well for Leason.  He was quieter offensively, putting up just five goals with a dozen assists in 62 games while still averaging around 13 minutes a night of action.  Meanwhile, he was a healthy scratch for the other 20.  Unsurprisingly, with Leason still being arbitration-eligible, he was non-tendered once again last month.

This time, there wasn’t a quick contract to be landed.  But Leason, a six-foot-five winger, has been primarily deployed in a defensive role over the last couple of years and has logged regular minutes on the penalty kill which could make him worthy of consideration for some teams heading into training camp.  Speculatively, Leason is the type of player that teams will likely look to bring in on a PTO.  But if he wants something guaranteed before then, it looks like he may have some KHL options on the table.

Ducks Re-Sign Brett Leason, Urho Vaakanainen

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6:23 p.m.: Anaheim’s now finalized these deals. Per Stephens, Leason’s is worth $1.05MM, while Vaakanainen’s is worth $1.1MM.

11:33 a.m.: The Ducks have re-signed winger Brett Leason and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to one-year deals, The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reports. The pair were briefly UFAs after being non-tendered by Anaheim yesterday.

Anaheim does a good job by bringing back two valuable depth pieces on one-year contracts for the 2024-25 season. Neither Leason nor Vaakanainen are game-breakers in their own right but they do eat up minutes as the Ducks’ prospects continue to make their way up the depth charts.

In his third season with the Ducks organization, Leason experienced a career year compared to his previous standards. Scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 68 games, not only did Leason set career-highs in goals, assists, and points; he tied for seventh in Anaheim in goal-scoring altogether.

Vaakanainen just completed his first full season with the Ducks even though he has been with the organization for two and a half. Limited by injuries at the start of his tenure in Anaheim, Vaakanainen managed a solid outing during the 2023-24 season by putting up one goal and 14 points in 68 games while being one of the three Anaheim defensemen to not produce a negative rating.

Both should factor into the Ducks’ lineup next season as the team continues to climb their way back into contention. However, with multiple prospects looking to graduate to the NHL level, neither player may be in the long-term plans for Anaheim.

Pacific Notes: Couture, Burakovsky, Beniers, Dunn, Leason

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The Sharks will remain without captain Logan Couture this week as he’s been ruled out for the remainder of their road trip, head coach David Quinn said (via San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng). Couture is slowly nearing a return from a lower-body injury that’s sidelined him for the whole season to date, and he’s been skating for over a month. However, Quinn has repeatedly preached caution by not rushing him into the lineup and risking re-aggravation of the injury.

Couture’s return won’t have much of an effect on the Sharks’ on-ice fortunes. Their 23 points and .267 points percentage are both the worst in the league this season, coupled with a -90 goal differential that demonstrated little optimism for improvement. They may have some upward mobility into the 31st or 30th places in the league standings, but even that seems unlikely past the halfway point of the season. However, his return to the organization is an important emotional win – the veteran of over 900 games and 14 seasons in a San Jose sweater remains an important locker room presence and provides some more quality depth for youngsters like William Eklund, Henry Thrun and Fabian Zetterlund to skate with.

More from around the Pacific Division:

  • The Seattle Times’ Kate Shefte relays that the Kraken are without three major players for today’s tilt against the Penguins: winger André Burakovsky, center Matthew Beniers and star defenseman Vince Dunn. Burakovsky, 28, is out with a lower-body injury sustained early in Saturday’s 7-4 win over the Blue Jackets. It continues an extremely injury-plagued season for the Swedish winger, whose previous upper-body injury had limited him to 13 games on the year. He has one goal and five points after finishing second on the Kraken in points per game last year with 39 points in 49 appearances. The 21-year-old Beniers, meanwhile, sustained an upper-body injury against Columbus after appearing in all 42 Kraken games thus far this season. His sophomore campaign has been rocky after taking home the Calder Trophy last season, posting just six goals and 19 points after notching 57 points last season. His possession numbers remain strong, however, a positive sign that his decline in production likely isn’t permanent. Dunn is out with an undisclosed injury after logging 22 minutes against Columbus on Saturday. The 27-year-old should earn himself a few Norris votes at season’s end, leading the team in scoring with 35 points while playing over 23 minutes per game. He’s in the first season of a four-year, $7.35MM extension.
  • Ducks winger Brett Leason is not in the lineup for today’s game against the Panthers after leaving Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Lightning with an upper-body injury.  The 24-year-old has already set a career-high in points with 12 through 36 appearances this year, scoring six goals and posting a -6 rating in bottom six minutes. Entering the game against the Lightning, he had been a healthy scratch in two of the last four games. He hasn’t been given a return timeline by the team yet.

Injury Notes: Caufield, Stützle, Tanev

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After exiting tonight’s game early in the second period with an upper-body injury, Montreal Canadiens star sniper Cole Caufield will not return, according to the team. He was hit hard in front of the Canadiens’ net by Flames forward Trevor Lewis and reached for his head after the collision.

Caufield and Nick Suzuki’s chemistry have been instrumental in helping the Habs hover around the .500 mark this far into the regular season. Caufield’s 16 goals lead the team, and his 25 points in 27 games are second behind Suzuki’s 29. Any long-term absence from their top goal-scorer will be extremely difficult to overcome.

  • Another Canadian team also lost an important young forward tonight. Ottawa Senators center Tim Stützle left their game against the Anaheim Ducks and did not return after sustaining an upper-body injury in the first frame, per the team. He was checked by Ducks forward Brett Leason, who was given an interference penalty on the play. Stützle’s 27 points are second on the team, and they’re already without their other top center in Josh Norris.
  • For Calgary, they lost defenseman Chris Tanev after taking a puck to the face. The veteran stayed down on the ice after the impact but didn’t require a stretcher and was helped off the ice by teammates. If Tanev is to miss time, Calgary will need to recall another defenseman with MacKenzie Weegar battling an illness.

 

Ducks Claim Brett Leason Off Waivers

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While Anaheim lost a player on waivers today, they also picked one up as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed winger Brett Leason off waivers from Washington.

The 23-year-old split last season between the Capitals and their AHL affiliate in Hershey.  With Washington, Leason played in 36 games, recording three goals and three assists while averaging just under nine minutes a night.  He was a bit more productive with the Bears, however, tallying six goals and seven helpers in 31 contests down there.  His career-best in points in the minors is only 20 despite finishing up his junior career with a dominant performance in 2018-19 that saw him put up 89 points in 55 games with WHL Prince Albert, helping to make him a second-round pick in his final year of draft eligibility.

This was Leason’s first year of being waiver-eligible and he came up just short of making Washington’s opening roster and will now try to earn himself a spot in Anaheim’s lineup over the coming days.  He’s beginning the first season of a two-year, one-way contract that carries a cap hit of $775K.

Washington Capitals Extend Brett Leason

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The Washington Capitals have taken care of a pending free agent negotiation, signing Brett Leason to a two-year extension. The contract will carry a cap hit of $775K, paying him $750K in 2022-23 and $800K in 2023-24. Notably, the deal is a one-way contract, meaning Leason will make that much no matter which level he plays.

Leason, 23, made his NHL debut this season and ended up playing in 36 games for the Capitals, scoring three goals and six points along the way. The 6’5″ forward adds an interesting dynamic to the lineup, representing a size and skill blend that is hard to find around the NHL.

While he isn’t overly physical, his long reach and ability to protect the puck have made scouts and prospect prognosticators excited for years. In his final year of junior, that size advantage led to an incredible 46 goals and 114 points in 77 games, though that kind of production has been hard to come by in the minor leagues.

Still, with Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson both out following major surgery, there will be available opportunities in the Washington lineup to start the year. A player like Leason could take advantage of that and potentially even see time in the top six or on the powerplay, depending on how the lines shake out by the end of free agency.

The one-way nature of the contract suggests that he’ll be in the NHL at least, along with the fact that Leason is no longer waiver-exempt. If the Capitals wanted to send him to the minor leagues, he would need to clear waivers first.

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