Zach Bogosian signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 10.
The 30-year-old defenseman, who was an unrestricted free agent, scored seven points (one goal, six assists) in 27 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres last season, including two assists in eight games after he was signed by the Lightning on Feb. 23.
Bogosian also had four assists in 20 postseason games to help the Lightning win the Cup.
"I had a chance to play my junior hockey in Peterborough, so I obviously know how big Leafs nation is," Bogosian said. "As far as the lineup goes, we've played against a lot of these guys, especially the veterans, for a number of years, but the good young talent that we have on the team could be a good fit. Yes, super excited to be part of such a skilled group.
"There's so many high-end players there. You look at all the big names that are there, you can name off at least 10 of them. Playing against them for the last few years, being in Buffalo and knowing how good they are, I thought I could come in and bring what I bring to the table and just try to help the team. They've been so close the last few years. Obviously, [Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas] has gone out and gotten a few other guys to try to set up set us up in the best possible position, so it's been exciting."
Bogosian was suspended by the Sabres on Feb. 17 for failing to report to Rochester of the American Hockey League after he cleared waivers. He was placed on unconditional waivers Feb. 21 with the intention of terminating his contract.
"You know, the start in 2019 for me was a little chaotic, so I wasn't really sure what was in store for me for the future," Bogosian said. "Obviously, leaving Buffalo and going and down to Tampa and going on the run that we did and the way we did it was a ton of fun. It was a great experience. And then to be able to sign with the Leafs, obviously every hockey player, it probably crosses their mind a few times in their childhood just because of how storied the franchise is. I'm super excited to be part of that."
Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round (No. 3) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Bogosian has 196 points (53 goals, 143 assists) in 644 regular-season games with the Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Sabres and Lightning and four assists in 20 postseason games.
"We felt that in looking at our defense, we wanted to add a little bit of a different element in terms of the mix that we could put out there or that [coach Sheldon Keefe] could utilize," Dubas said. "Zach is obviously a very competitive, strong defenseman. He just had a great experience with Tampa Bay this past summer and into the fall. That to us, it's a big addition. Obviously he'll kill penalties and he'll challenge the guys on the roster for ice time."
