We have signed defenders Jordie Benn and Victor Mete on one-year contracts. #LeafsForever
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 15, 2022 Both contracts are for $750,000. Hearing Leafs sign UFA Victor Mete. — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) July 14, 2022 At his media availability yesterday, Kyle Dubas said he wanted to sign other players. Today, we have a report that one of them is Mitch Marner’s old friend from junior, Victor Mete. Mete, 24, is a left-shooting defenseman who has traveled to Montreal, who drafted him 100th overall in 2016, via Ottawa and will now wear the Blue and White. But will it be the Marlies or the Leafs? Mete struggled to establish himself in the NHL on teams where the path seemed open. He was a star with the Knights and played in the WJC for Canada, but so far his professional career has been rocky. His last contract was for a hopeful $1.2 million from the Senators, but they opted not to give him a qualifying offer when he didn’t live up to their expectations. We should probably expect something closer to the minimum, and Mete to be in the AHL at least part of the year. As a callup option, this seems like a good choice since he has a lot of NHL experience and is looking to prove himself. But he’s not the only new defenseman coming to Toronto: Jordie Benn, brother of the more famous Jamie, is about to turn 35. He played 39 games for the Minnesota Wild last year and is the kind of reliable veteran teams love. You wouldn’t expect a full-time NHLer now, but he should be a good pro. When we have more details, we will let you know.
