The Maple Leafs have signed defenceman Andrew Campbell to a one-year, two-way NHL contract.
Drafted in the third round in 2008 by the Kings, the 27-year-old Campbell made his first NHL call-up appearance in 2013-14 at the age of 25. He split last year between the AHL and NHL, playing 33 NHL games and posting one point and a -13 plus/minus.
He’s a 6’4 left hander with limited mobility and offensive capacity, having posted a career-best of 19 AHL points in 76 games in 2011-12. He finished with a -1.58 CFRELTM in 464 even strength minutes with the Coyotes last season.
Andrew Campbell Statistics
| SEASON | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 63 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 75 | 9 |
| 2007-08 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 68 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 64 | 20 |
| 2008-09 | Manchester Monarchs | AHL | 72 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 72 | -15 |
| 2009-10 | Manchester Monarchs | AHL | 74 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 68 | -16 |
| 2010-11 | Manchester Monarchs | AHL | 76 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 68 | 12 |
| 2011-12 | Manchester Monarchs | AHL | 76 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 54 | 14 |
| 2012-13 | Manchester Monarchs A | AHL | 47 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 40 | 15 |
| 2013-14 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manchester Monarchs C | AHL | 69 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 58 | 16 | |
| 2014-15 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | -13 |
| Portland Pirates | AHL | 40 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 30 | 1 |
The Leafs had previously signed Campbell to an AHL deal; the reason for signing him to an NHL two-way deal is so that they could call-him up as a depth option, and won’t lose him to another team contemplating an NHL offer.
The curious thing about the signing, in addition to the Leafs‘ abundance of left-handed options on the blueline, is that the Leafs have used up an NHL Standard Player Contract slot here, taking them to 47, after they cleared out five spots in the Michael Grabner deal. There is still flexibility, but the signings of Brad Boyes and Campbell have eaten up two of those spots.
He’s not a prospect at this point, so Leafs management must feel he could contribute should injuries strike, while providing a veteran presence on the blueline with the Marlies. He is a former Sault Ste Marie Greyhound, so Kyle Dubas would have scouted him then.
