Toronto adds a new blue-line weapon: Frank Djurasevic signs 2-year deal
Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Frank Djurasevic just gave Craig Berube's organization a new right-shot option on the blue line, and Toronto moved on it fast.
The source is the Toronto Marlies themselves: they announced Saturday that Djurasevic signed a 2-year contract starting in 2026-27 and will join on an amateur tryout for the rest of 2025-26.
The tweet trail is here:
That matters because this is less about hype and more about roster timing.
Djurasevic is 24, shoots right, stands 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, and arrives out of the University of Maine after a 34-game season with 14 points.
That contract detail is the real tell. The Marlies did not wait for summer; they locked in the future term now, then brought him in on an ATO so he can start learning pro pace right away.
This is a depth play with purpose. Toronto's AHL blue line has churned all year, and adding a mature college defender gives the club another body for hard minutes, breakouts, and second-unit usage.
Why Toronto made the move now
The next game angle is simple: the Marlies are back at home against Manitoba on Tuesday, March 31, so this signing gives the staff another option almost immediately.
And there's a style fit here. Maine leaned on him for blocks and shot volume, and that usually translates faster than pure offence when a defender jumps to the AHL.
He also brings more than a hot month. Over 107 NCAA games between Maine and Merrimack, Djurasevic put up 52 points, which says he can move pucks without needing sheltered usage.
For the Leafs pipeline, this is the kind of bet smart teams keep making: older college free agents, modest risk, real pro habits, and a chance to uncover a call-up option later.
Toronto did not buy noise here. It bought a useful test drive with term attached.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 28|156 ANSWERS Toronto adds a new blue-line weapon: Frank Djurasevic signs 2-year deal Did the Toronto Marlies just find a late-blooming NHL depth defenceman ? | ||
| Yes | 104 | 66.7 % |
| No | 52 | 33.3 % |
| List of polls | ||