Maple Leafs sign Giordano to 2-year extension with $800K AAV

Mark Giordano is staying in Toronto on a hometown discount.

The Maple Leafs signed the veteran defenseman to a two-year extension with an average annual value of $800,000, the team announced Sunday.

"Everything (Giordano) does is done to help the team win, and that includes a tremendous sacrifice in this contract negotiation," general manager Kyle Dubas said.

Giordano, a Toronto native, recorded 35 points in 75 games last season, split between the Maple Leafs and Seattle Kraken. The Leafs acquired him, along with forward Colin Blackwell, at the trade deadline for two second-round picks and a third-rounder.

The 38-year-old posted strong underlying numbers last season, specifically on the defensive end:

Giordano's previous cap hit carried an AAV of $6.75 million. His market value is $6.3 million per year, according to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn.

The extension will take Giordano through his age 39 and 40 seasons.

Giordano spent the first 15 years of his career with the Calgary Flames, serving as team captain for eight of those campaigns. He won the Norris Trophy in 2018-19 at age 35 after posting a career-high 74 points. The Kraken selected him in the 2021 expansion draft.

The Maple Leafs now have five defensemen signed for next season: Giordano, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, T.J. Brodie, and Justin Holl. Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren are restricted free agents, while Ilya Lyubushkin is an unrestricted free agent.

Rielly, Muzzin, Giordano, and Sandin have all played primarily on the left side in their careers. Barring any further moves, one of them may need to slide over to the right.