It’s time for another round of NHL rumours to start the week. We’re almost at the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but some teams are still trying to make roster additions. The NCAA men’s hockey tournament wrapped up with Quinnipiac defeating Minnesota in overtime. There were some good college players on display and one of them plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Today’s NHL rumours gives a Matthew Knies update.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Matthew Knies Update on Signing
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered an update on the Minnesota product during Saturday night’s Headlines segment. Friedman said that the signing may run into a few snags and not as foregone as some thought. Injuries have thrown a monkey wrench into general manager Kyle Dubas inking the second-round selection.
HNIC 32 (good luck to TJ Marek at the OMHA playoffs): Matthew Knies/Lane Hutson/Marty St. Louis & Team Canada/Landeskog/Jeannot/Eriksson Ek/Jay O'Brienhttps://t.co/RTaAHC1QS3
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 9, 2023
The Leafs are nervous about having Knies play in the post-season without him seeing how he does in the regular season. Toronto has three games left to go in the regular season before playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. The Leafs cap space situation also complicates things, but they could send Wayne Simmonds down to make a spot for Knies.
Friedman also mentioned that the two sides could sign a contract without performance bonuses. It would be a unique situation, but the Leafs want to see a deal done.
Can Leafs Make a Deal Happen?
Knies is a big body and seems to be ready for the professional game. Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe has been tinkering with the lineup in an attempt to get Toronto out of the first round. The pressure is on for the entire organization.
Toronto hopes that Knies can be a solid player they can have for cheap until the cap goes up. The Leafs want to see what they have before thrusting him into the hot spotlight of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Main photo by: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
