Matthew Knies was a completely unknown commodity for most fans when the Leafs selected him 57th overall in the 2021 draft, but his play with the Minnesota Golden Gophers over the last two seasons has promptly catapulted him to the top of Toronto’s prospect pipeline, and now, the NHL.
Knies’s sophomore season came to a heartbreaking end in the National Championship game in Tampa Bay on Saturday night, as Quinnipiac tied the game with their goalie pulled late in the third period before ending the game in stunning fashion just 10 seconds into overtime. Knies flew back to Minnesota with his teammates, but he won’t have long to dwell on the loss after signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Leafs on Sunday.
The Leafs had to partake in some salary cap gymnastics to make it happen, but when all was said and done on Sunday, Knies was signed and on his way back to Florida to join his new teammates. His contract will carry a cap hit of $925k annually, and there are no performance bonuses included in the deal.
With Calle Järnkrok still considered day-to-day and Wayne Simmonds assigned to the Marlies in order to create th …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation