The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed depth forward Zack MacEwen to a two-year contract, reportedly worth $875K annually.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta was the first to report the signing.

MacEwen, 29, is a big, physical forward known more for his ability to get to the dirty areas and stick up for his teammates than for his scoring touch. The undrafted winger has bounced around the league, making stops with teams like the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Ottawa Senators.

This past season saw him traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Kurtis MacDermid, and MacEwen went scoreless in three games. He missed the majority of the year due to a knee injury he suffered on November 12 and then underwent ACL surgery in January that shut him down for the rest of the season.

MacEwen should be healthy for the start of the 2026-27 season, though it’s unlikely he will get into a lot of game action next season given all of the acquisitions the Leafs made on July 1st. It’s more likely that he will be with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and get called up when needed, making it feasible to put him on waivers without fear of him getting claimed. Even if he is with the NHL team, don’t expect MacEwen to be a regular, though his physical prowess could be of use during games against the Florida Panthers.

The Leafs entered free agency with loads of cap space and used it to shore up their depth on short-term deals. In addition to MacEwen, they signed Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, and Brandon Duhaime, while also acquiring Nick Paul in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. As a result of these moves, along with the signing of Sergei Bobrovsky, the Leafs are currently nearly $1 million over the salary cap, which means more moves are on the way.