Report: Leafs finalizing 4-year extension with Andreas Johnsson

The Toronto Maple Leafs are finalizing a four-year extension with forward Andreas Johnsson, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Terms have not been disclosed by the club, but Johnsson’s deal is expected to be worth an average annual value of $3.25-3.5 million.

Johnsson has become an increasingly important member of the Maple Leafs and established himself as a top-six mainstay on a loaded forward group. The 24-year-old posted 20 goals and 43 points during the 2018-19 season, finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting, awarded to the league’s best rookie.

The Leafs selected Johnsson in the seventh round of the 2013 NHL Draft and he has exceeded his return on value, providing the team with an outstanding combination of speed and tenacity.

It’s been a busy day for the Maple Leafs, who traded Patrick Marleau to the Hurricanes earlier in the afternoon, a bittersweet moment for the team’s young core. The Maple Leafs are also reportedly nearing a contract extension with forward Kasperi Kapanen, another key component of the team’s future.

It was believed by some that the Maple Leafs would have to choose between Kapanen and Johnsson, but it turns out they can have both, with Marleau waiving his no-movement clause and the Leafs not retaining his salary.

Now the team just has to find a way to get Mitch Marner’s next deal to fit under the books and Kyle Dubas might be able to rest easy.

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