What the Maple Leafs Are Getting By Signing Nicolas Mattinen Nearly 8 Years After Drafting Him
Nicolas Mattinen is proof that every road to landing your first NHL contract is unique.
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Sunday that they signed the 6-foot-5 defenseman to a one-year, two-way deal.
The 26-year-old Mattinen was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round (179th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. He spent the 2015-16 season in the OHL with the London Knights where he was teammates with Mitch Marner and won a Memorial Cup.
Following the draft, Mattinen took part in the Leafs' 2016 and 2017 development camps. He spent two years playing at the University of Ottawa and made his pro debut with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Playing in the German league, Mattinen led the DEL in points by a blueliner with 46 in 52 games.
Jack Han, who worked with the Leafs at the time Mattinen was drafted, says the player will have to show another level on his defensive-zone retrievals and man-on-man defending if the player is going to be a call-up option.
The signing of Mattinen is another sign from GM Brad Treliving that he prefers size when looking at options for defense. Cade Webber, a defender that Treliving just acquired the rights to recently, is 6-foot-6.
A friend of Mattinen's Robert Greeley is a YouTuber who documented what life in the DEL was like for Mattinen. Greeley and Mattinen are childhood friends who grew up together in Ottawa
Related
News from THN.com
With Five Days Left in the NHL Regular Season, There's Plenty to Play For
'Where Have I Heard This Before?' Golden Knights' Stone Cleared to Practise Before Playoffs
NHL Three Stars: Lightning's Stamkos and Kucherov Own the Ice along with Penguins' Nedeljkovic
