Remember when Brendan Brisson was traded to the New York Rangers for Reilly Smith so the Original Misfit could return home? The deal was meant to add more scoring depth for the Vegas Golden Knights while ditching a failed first-round pick (at least, within Vegas's system). Well, it appears that Brisson is joining the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The former first-round pick signed a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs on Friday. He gets another chance to keep his NHL career going with Toronto, joining Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares on an Original Six team (formerly Mitch Marner's team).
🖊️ We’ve signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 4, 2026
Per PuckPedia, the deal is worth $850,000. Last season, Brisson scored an assist in three games with the New York Rangers. However, that wasn't where he thrived. That would be with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, where he scored 19 goals and 18 assists in 66 games.
As mentioned, the deal is a last gasp for Brisson's NHL hopes (if not, well, it's close to that). The former Golden Knight didn't pan out as the franchise hoped, leading to his exit. If he doesn't pan out in Toronto, it's likely that his NHL dreams will go down the drain, marking a tragic downfall for a promising prospect.
Looking back at Brendan Brisson's Vegas Golden Knights career
Originally, Brisson was supposed to serve an integral role on the Golden Knights' lower-six forward group. He was set to take over the wing role and give Vegas a low-cost option for a few years. After all, general manager Kelly McCrimmon loves to keep the salary cap compliant with league rules.
However, that never happened with the former first-round pick. He petered out during the 2024-25 preseason and fell out of favor with the Golden Knights' coaching staff. He didn't record a single point in nine games of that season, which led to him being traded to the New York Rangers. Hey, nothing wrong with Reilly Smith coming home to the Golden Knights, you know?
Of course, he had modest success with the Silver Knights, where he had 45 goals and 57 assists during his four-year Henderson residency. Those numbers translated to the Wolf Pack, where he established himself as a prominent AHL player. If that story sounds familiar to Golden Knights fans, it's because it does. Alexander Holtz had a similar storyline with the Golden Knights and could face a similar fate.
A former first-round pick in his own right, the former New Jersey Devil had more success with the Silver Knights than with the NHL club. He scored nine goals and 13 assists in 29 games with Henderson, making him an AHL staple. His Golden Knights stats? Seven goals and 14 assists.
Brisson's new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs could serve as a reminder of what could happen to Holtz. The former New Jersey Devil has been given plenty of opportunities to thrive. For Brisson, his recent deal is a generous serving of hope for his NHL career. For Holtz? Not so much.
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