Two Leafs prospects move on to Frozen Four, one eliminated and now eligible to sign ELC
The University of Minnesota defeated bitter rivals, St. Cloud State, by a score of 4-1 to win their regional NCAA final and are now headed to the Frozen Four. This is important to the fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs because that means that top prospect, Matthew Knies' NHL debut will have to wait just a little while longer.
Matthew Knies, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, surprisingly didn't record a point in the 4-1 victory but has been nothing short of sensational for the Gophers this season. He tallied 21 goals and 41 points in the Big-10. He will try to help his team claim the national championship at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay - of all places. Fellow Leafs prospect Mikey Koster is also moving on with Knies and the University of Minnesota.
Another Leafs prospect in Veeti Miettinen, a 6th round draft pick from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and a forward for St. Cloud, will now be eligible to sign his ELC. Miettinen has improved steadily since his rookie season with point totals of 24, 23, and 36 respectively.
The Frozen Four commences on the 6th of April and ends on the 8th, so best case scenario is that Knies not only wins the championship but then signs his ELC right after - on the 9th of April - with the Leafs having 3 games to play on the 10th, 11th, and 13th against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning - at Amalie Arena - and the New York Rangers, respectively.
The team and the city are buzzing for this young stud and rightfully so. He has the potential to be something special and will be given every opportunity to stake his claim for a roster spot.
