547 game NHL veteran released from his professional tryout
The Toronto Maple Leafs have released veteran defenseman Danny DeKeyser from his professional tryout contract. DeKeyser had skated for three games with the Maple Leafs affiliate the Toronto Marlies. In three games with the Marlies, DeKeyser had one goal. DeKeyser also sustained an injury on October 26th and has not played in a game since then. It has not been announced what his injury is or how much time he is going to miss. Either way, his days with Toronto are over. He was also released from a PTO from the Vancouver Canucks back in early October.
This seemed like a decent gamble by the Maple Leafs. DeKeyser was a veteran defenseman with over five hundred games of NHL experience. Sadly, DeKeyser never made it past the minors this year and at his age his NHL career could be finished.
DeKeyser was an undrafted defenseman who played at Western Michigan University for three seasons. He went on to play ten consecutive seasons for his hometown team the Detroit Red Wings. In five hundred games played, DeKeyser notched thirty three goals and one hundred thirteen assists. Not bad for an undrafted defenseman.