The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a professional tryout, the team announced Monday.
Blankenburg, a 5-foot-9 right-shot defenseman, set career highs in games played (61), goals (eight), and points (24) last season while splitting time between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche. He also added a goal in five playoff appearances with Colorado.
The 28-year-old spent the first three years of his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He posted strong underlying numbers over the last two seasons in a third-pairing role.
Blankenburg likely enters Maple Leafs camp as the No. 8 defenseman on the depth chart. While Toronto boasts five locked-in veterans on its blue line, the No. 6 defenseman job could develop into a competition between Blankenburg, Emil Andrae, and Troy Stecher.
