Well, it's that time of year around the National Hockey League again. You know what I'm talking about- non-playoff teams signing their NCAA top prospects to get them exposure at the NHL level as the season winds down, and playoff teams attempting to do the same before the league's second season begins.
From the sounds of it, the Toronto Maple Leafs are no different. Toronto sounds like they're making a push to sign a top prospect after his season ended with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I'm of course talking about the team's 2nd overall pick (57th) from this past year's draft Matthew Knies. Knies appears to be undecided about returning to school or taking the leap and beginning his journey as a professional.
In an attempt to sway the undecided Knies, the Leafs are pulling out the big guns to try and get him to sign this season. Kyle Dubas, Brenden Shanahan, captain John Tavares and superstar Auston Matthews are expected to meet with him and pitch the idea of him turning pro this season.
Knies, 19, had 33 points in 33 games this season with the Gophers including 15 goals and 18 assists but the Gophers came up just short of a national championship after being eliminated in the frozen four by Minnesota state. He also represented the United States in both the World Juniors and the Olympics this year as well, tallying 3 points across 5 contests at both levels.
