The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Jeremy Williams and defenceman Derrick Walser to two-year contracts and forward Alex Foster to a one-year contract.
Williams, 23, spent time last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has the distinction of being the only player in NHL history to play in just two games and score in both. The Regina, Saskatchewan native played 23 games for the Marlies, recording 15 points (six goals, nine assists) with 27 penalty minutes. Williams was Toronto's fifth choice, 220th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Foster, 22, split last season between the Marlies and the Columbia Inferno of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). In 57 games with the Marlies he collected 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) with 31 penalty minutes. He played nine games with the Inferno collecting 11 points (one goal, 11 assists) with six penalty minutes. The Bowling Green alumnus was signed as a free-agent by the Maple Leafs on March 8, 2006.
Walser, the Canadian Major Junior Defenceman of the Year in 1998, split last season between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. He played nine games for the Blue Jackets collecting two goals and in another 49 games with the Crunch collected 36 points (nine goals, 27 assists) with 59 penalty minutes. The native of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, has played in 91 career NHL games collecting 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) with 56 penalty minutes.
Now, I've heard that the Walser signing is in fact a one way contract. From a German news outlet. There's nothing in the press release but if in fact it is, could a trade for our young defenders be on the horizon?