Maple Leafs ditch 2020 defensive draft selection

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Finnish defenseman Axel Rindell with the 177th overall selection in 2020 NHL Draft, and the hope was that he could continue his power play specialty ways that he became known for while playing in his homeland over into the professional North American ranks.

Unfortunately, that never materialized, and now he's heading home - literally. The Leafs have placed Rindell on waivers this afternoon for the purpose of terminating his contract. 

He was last signed to a two-year, entry level contract with the Leafs in April of 2022 that carried a cap hit of $838,750. This season, he split time between the AHL's Toronto Marlies and the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers.