Last July 1, the Maple Leafs took a flyer on PA Parenteau, who had one foot out of the League after falling out of favour in Montreal, signing him to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, with the thinking that he could be afforded ample opportunity on the right wing of a top six forward group that just lost Phil Kessel in a trade to Pittsburgh.
That played out pretty much as planned. After a slow start in which Parenteau notched just two points in his first 11 games, Parenteau posted a 20-goal, 41-point season over 77 games, good enough for first in goal scoring and second in points scoring among the Leafs’ anaemic forward group (behind only Nazem Kadri’s 45 points).