Maple Leafs improve depth, sign European free agents Ozhiganov, Lindholm

Michael Augello

Maple Leafs improve depth, sign European free agents Ozhiganov, Lindholm image

The Toronto Maple Leafs completed a pair of long-rumored signings of European free agents on Thursday, agreeing to terms with Russian defenseman Igor Ozhiganov and Swedish center Par Lindholm on one-year entry-level contracts. 

Ozhiganov, 25, played eight seasons in the KHL and the last three for CSKA Moscow, where he was a teammate of current Leafs blueliner Nikita Zaitsev.

After scoring a career-high 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 50 games in 2016-17, the Moscow-area native had just nine points in 42 KHL games this season and only saw spot duty in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs, likely because his contract was expiring and his intentions of going to the NHL were known going as far back as last summer, when he met with Leafs Team President Brendan Shanahan and former GM Lou Lamoriello.   

The right-handed Ozhiganov has NHL size (6’2”, 214 lb.), is a good skater, controls the puck well and possesses a heavy shot (winning the hardest shot competition at the 2017 KHL All-Star game), but questions about his hockey IQ have him better suited for a bottom pairing depth role than a top-four option that Toronto is in desperate need of.

 

Lindholm played eight years in Sweden and also represented his country in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He recorded a career-high 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) with Skelleftea last season.  

The 26-year-old center is known to be versatile, intelligent and capable of playing at both ends of the ice, but is not gifted with great speed. Lindholm improved offensively the last two seasons, finishing second in team scoring both years to former NHLer and linemate Joakim Lindstrom.

 

The signings continue the Leafs trend in the Shanahan era of adding to the depth of the organization with experienced undrafted free agents from the European leagues. The club had success with the signings of winger Nikita Soshnikov and Zaitsev in recent seasons and last summer brought in Swedish blueliners Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman and KHL center Miro Aaltonen on entry-level contracts.

Soshnikov was dealt to St. Louis prior to the trade deadline, while Zaitsev had an impressive rookie season and earned a seven-year contract extension. Borgman played 48 NHL games in his rookie campaign and Rosen saw spot duty with the Leafs, while Aaltonen spent the entire year in the American Hockey League.

Ozhiganov will likely be given every chance to win a spot on the NHL roster in training camp, with righty veterans Roman Polak and Connor Carrick free agents.

With Tyler Bozak, Dominic Moore and Tomas Plekanec not expected to be re-signed and the organization’s prospect pool thin up the middle, Lindholm will compete with Aaltonen and former first round pick Frederik Gauthier for the Leafs fourth line center spot.  

Michael Augello