David Booth signs 1-year, $1.1 million deal with Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract with free agent winger David Booth, reports James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail. The team has also confirmed the deal, which comes not long after the hiring of vocal analytics supporter Kyle Dubas as assistant general manager.
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Booth, 29, was bought out of his contract with the Vancouver Canucks earlier this offseason after two-plus inconsistent years with the team. Expected to be a solid role player beside the Sedin brothers and Ryan Kesler, he battled injuries and mediocre performance as the Canucks struggled to contend in a stacked Western Conference.
The lack of production — 26 goals, 51 points in 134 games — with the Canucks made him expendable as the team sought changes this offseason. However, he’s a logical risk for Toronto on a short-term deal given his age, history and underlying statistics, which indicate he could be due for a rebound, as Pro Hockey Talk points out.
The Maple Leafs haven’t used advanced statistics and analytics in the past, but the addition of Dubas to the front office could be the signal that president Brendan Shanahan is shaking things up in Toronto. Booth could be one of the first roster moves in that direction as a low-risk signing that could end up paying some nice dividends next season.
At his peak, Booth was a solid player for the Florida Panthers, recording three seasons of 40-plus points from 2008-11, including a 60-point campaign in 2008-09. That year, he set a career-high with 31 goals. Last season, scored just nine in 66 games for Vancouver.