Toronto Maple Leafs Affiliate Team Adds Two Notable Players to Their Deep Roster

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Chris Gerics
October 11, 2024 (1:56 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to add to their ever-growing list of players, signing both Nikolai Nikolai Knyzhov and Jon Gillies to their ECHL affiliate Friday.

With the regular season underway, the Toronto Maple Leafs have decided that they still wanted to shore up a bit of depth in their system, and given the potential for injuries and setbacks, having more players at your disposal is better than a lack of bodies.

The team announced on Friday that they had signed defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov and Jon Gillies to their ECHL affiliate, the Cincinnati Cyclones as per Kyle Cushman on X:

Who is Nikolai Knyzhov?

Knyzhov, a 6'3, 222-pound defenseman from Kemerovo, Russia was signed to the NHL by the San Jose Sharks in 2019 and had a quiet career with the Sharks though he did play in 56 games during the 2020-2021 season, registering 2 goals and eight assists. He spent most of last season with the Barracudas, San Jose's AHL affiliate, but put up solid numbers with 14 points in 40 games.

Given the logjam Toronto seems to have, Knyzhov would be an intriguing look for the Marlies during this season, and they could use an injection of young, NHL-caliber talent, and if he can find his footing for the junior Leafs, he could find himself back in the NHL much sooner than later.

Who is Jon Gillies?

Gillies, an NHL journeyman goaltender who was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2012 has played in his fair share of NHL games with time spent between Calgary, St. Louis, New Jersey, and Columbus; posting an 8-16-3 record with a 3.39 GAA and .891 SV%. He hasn't had the best numbers in his NHL career and played sparingly in the AHL however had his longest stretch playing for the Devils in 2021-2022 with 19 games.

Gillies will presumably take the helm for the Cyclones, or share backup duty with either Stephen Mundinger or Paval Cajan. His potential to make Toronto is fairly slim given the amount of goaltender depth ahead of him not only on the main squad but on the Toronto Marlies. He would need to blow Matt Murray, Vyacheslav Peksa, and Artur Akhtyamov out of the water, then find a way around Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz, and Dennis Hildeby. It's a tough road for Gillies back to the NHL however he can make a huge impact for the Cyclones and help them win there.

Does either Knyzhov or Gillies make the team?

It would not be a surprise to see Knyzhov get a crack at the Marlies at some point this season, and he fits perfectly into GM Brad Treliving's mantra of adding defensemen; and big-bodied ones at that. With a strong training camp next season, he could fight for a bottom-pairing spot. Gillies however will have a bit of a struggle getting back to the show, and barring some catastrophic scenarios, his best bet is to help Cincinnati and possibly the Marlies as they look for their respective championships.