The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed depth forward Teddy Blueger to a two-year contract worth $2.5 million annually. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report.

Blueger, 31, is a Latvian bottom-six forward who primarily plays centre but can also play on the wing. His NHL career to date has consisted of three different teams, beginning with the Pittsburgh Penguins and ending with the Vancouver Canucks with a stop in Vegas sandwiched in there. He was plagued by a leg-muscle injury for 43 games early in the season and then suffered a setback during his rehab, but he made the most of his NHL season with 17 points in 35 games for the Canucks.

The Blueger signing is the fourth signing of the day, making it one of the busier July 1sts the Maple Leafs have had in recent years. They’ve clearly identified their depth scoring as an issue that needed resolving, and have done so by adding Blueger, Jack Roslovic, and Colton Sissons. On top of these moves, they signed veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year contract.

While it’s unknown as of right now how the Leafs will utilize their bottom six, the signings of Blueger and Sissons seem to indicate that they’re comfortable going into the season with veteran John Tavares as their second-line centre. Both Blueger and Sissons will be able to give their penalty kill a boost, while Roslovic will aid them more on the offensive side of the game, coming off of back-to-back 20-goal seasons.

Chayka seems to be prioritizing short-term deals for bottom-six players at higher prices, which is a different approach compared to Brad Treliving, who would typically add years to the deal to bring the dollar value down. With the abundance of cap space the Leafs currently have, they’re making a clear investment into the next two years for this team.