Toronto Maple Leafs sign defenseman Nicolas Mattinen to two-way deal
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a big splash signing top European free agent defenseman Nicolas Mattinen from the German DEL league.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed right-handed defenceman Nicolas Mattinen to a one-year, two-way contract, his deal starting next season.
Mattinen, 26, was the German Hockey League's (DEL) Player of the Year after a dominant season with 16 goals, 30 assists & 46 points in 52 games for the Straubing Tigers. Mattinen is a 6'5 right-handed defender, a Canadian national born in Orleans, Ontario.
Mattinen was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, 179th overall, but did not sign with Toronto, having finished a career in the Ontario Hockey League, Mattinen continued playing in USports for the University of Ottawa, before a stint in the American Hockey League for the Laval Rocket, making stops in Europe after, having played in Austria in 22-23, before moving to Straubing this past season.
Mattinen is signed to a two-way contract, making him eligible to play for the AHL Toronto Marlies, adding to an already existing amount of depth in the Leafs defensive pool, giving the team another potential option as a bottom-four defender for the Maple Leafs, or as a top-four defender for the Marlies.
| POLL | ||
Is this a good signing for the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 480 | 90.9 % |
| No | 48 | 9.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
