Toronto Maple Leafs hand talented defenseman a two-year extension

Despite going undrafted in the NHL, former Harvard University defenseman Marshall Rifai continued grinding and earned his way to a contract with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. From there, his impressive play continued, with his 2022/23 campaign seeing him tally 16 points and 118 penalty minutes in 69 games played, clearly catching the attention of the organization.

From there, he was handed an opportunity in the NHL, and while he only played two games with the Maple Leafs last season, he has clearly made an impression, as he has now been given a two-year extension with the team.

At 26-years of age, Rifai has plenty of experience at the NCAA level and now two full seasons with the Marlies, and while he's not likely to crack the roster to begin the year, he serves his purpose as great depth for Toronto. With great size and solid skill, Rifai could play a good role for the Maple Leafs if needed, but if not, he's on a very cheap deal that could pay off in a big way for Toronto if the injury bug strikes their blue line during the regular season.