Joe Thornton has taken the plunge.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that the NHL legend has signed a one-year contract worth the $700,000 veteran minimum.
Thornton’s addition will supplement the stable of cheap deals that the Leafs have signed in an effort to balance their top-heavy payroll. However unlike other modest deals signed this offseason, the Thornton agreement does carry some risk, as it includes a no-movement clause and the money cannot be buried in the minors. It’s unlikely that Thornton would have signed the agreement without those assurances, anyway.
Thornton, 41, is currently skating in Switzerland with HC Davos while preparing for his 23rd NHL season.