The maple leaves are the signature of Nicolas Mattinen…yes, THAT Nicolas Mattinen

The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly made a very surprising and ridiculous signing. They signed Nicolas Mattinen to a two-year contract starting next season – AAV $775,000. Unless you're really passionate about how Toronto uses SPC slots, it's hard to be mad.

If you're wondering why this name sounds familiar, let me refresh your memories:

Mark Hunter's eldest sons

The Leafs continue to draft big defensemen. Is it smart? Is it working?

That's right, the Big Grown Boys era is back – and it's version 2.0 introduced by Brad Treliving.

So what did Mattinen do?

And after being drafted in the 6th round by the Leafs in 2016, Mattinen finished his four-year OHL career with the Oshawa Generals – his fourth minor league team. He scored 61 points in 68 games that year.

Mattinen did not sign with Toronto, instead attending university in Canada and spending three seasons with USports in Ottawa. After the end of the 2021/22 season, he played with Rocket Laval to finish this season with 8 games. The following season, he played in the ICEHL tournament in Austria. He scored 42 points in 46 games, second most in the league by defensemen.

The season after that – which brings us to this season – Mattinen played in the DEL in Germany, where he scored 46 points in 52 games, then added 7 points in 12 playoff games. Those points led all defensemen in the DEL and he was named the DEL Player of the Year.

Now who is Mattie? He's 26 years old and lives up to his Big Big Boys membership as a 6'6″, 225-pound right-handed shooting guard. He's found some offensive growth in his game, but he's had good production for a junior guard. From what I've heard from Will Scouch, he's never been close to the best offensive defenseman his age, he skates well for his size and scores a lot because of his poor shot.He also got ice time including a playoff game where he played 45+ minutes.

Otherwise I have nothing. I don't know anything about him, I never watched him when he was in Toronto, and not much has been written about the former 6th rounder who was never signed, went to USports for three seasons and then went undrafted. 8 games out of AHL contract, now Glow Up in Europe after two years. Maybe German coaches

Welcome back Nicholas!

Ah, the news is coming fast today. The Marlies have announced the signing of defenseman Chas Sharp to an AHL contract. He is a 6'3″ right tackle who was never drafted. He finished his CHL career with the Mississauga Steelheads, who were eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs a week earlier. He scored 53 points in 67 games. this season and added 4 points in 5 playoff games.

I could have sworn I wrote about it here long ago in one of my draft lists for latecomers or undrafted rewrites, but I couldn't find it. Also welcome to Chas!