Toronto, ON – The Toronto Maple Leafs made two big moves in the early hours of free agency on Friday, signing forwards Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson to multi-year deals.
Bozak returns to the Maple Leafs for a five-year deal reportedly worth $21 million, while Clarkson left the New Jersey Devils to ink a seven-year, $36.75 million with Toronto. Bozak's deal carries an annual cap hit of $4.2 million and Clarkson's has an annual average value of $5.25 million.
Both Bozak and Clarkson entered the NHL as undrafted free agents. Toronto signed Bozak in 2009, while Clarkson was inked in 2005 by the Devils.
The 29-year-old Clarkson, a native of suburban Toronto, tallied a career-best 30 goals with New Jersey in 2011-12. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound winger added a team-high 15 goals and 24 points in 48 games for the Devils during the 2013 campaign.
Clarkson has 97 goals and 73 assists in 426 career games -- all with the Devils.
Bozak, 27, had 12 goals and 16 assists in 46 games for the Leafs during the recent lockout-shortened season. He added one goal and one assist in five playoff games.
In 238 career games with Toronto, Bozak has compiled 53 goals, 81 assists and 134 points.
The Maple Leafs also signed forwards Frazer McLaren and Trevor Smith and defensemen T.J. Brennan and Kevin Marshall.
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