On Wednesday morning, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the signing of prospect Ryan Tverberg. The signing is a three-year entry-level contract with a cap hit of $851,667.
His base salary is $775,000 for all three years, with a $70,000 signing bonus in 2023-24, $80,000 in 2024-25, and $80,000 in 2025-26. He will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the 2025-26 season. Tverberg’s salary for playing in the minors will be $80,000.
(Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Tverberg (5’11, 180 Lbs.) in the 7th round of the 2020 NHL draft with the 213th overall pick. Tverberg is from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, and can play centre or right wing. He has completed his third year at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA. The 21-year-old finished this season with 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 34 games.
(Stats from eliteprospects.com)
During his draft year, Tverberg registered 26 goals and 25 assists for 51 points in 47 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the OJHL. The Maple Leafs clearly see his potential, now they need to let him develop at the pro level. Overall, this is a good signing for Toronto, but there is still room to add one more contract.
Toronto Maple Leafs Expected to Sign Matthew Knies Next
Every NHL team is allowed to have 50 pro contract signings. Toronto’s recent signing of Ryan Tverberg brings them to 49 pro contracts. With one more contract spot left to use, the Maple Leafs are expected to sign prospect Matthew Knies.
Toronto has $990,833 in available cap space to sign Knies. The 20-year-old left winger offers Toronto a true power forward. He is big (6’3, 210 Lbs.) and offensively gifted. Knies recorded 21 goals and 19 assists for 40 points in 35 games this season with the University of Minnesota. He was recently named the Big 10 Player of the Year.
Unlike Tverberg, Knies is expected to jump into the NHL once he signs his entry-level deal. He will probably get a few games in with Toronto before the NHL playoffs start. Depending on how well he plays, he could even see some playing time in the playoffs. Even if he doesn’t play, being around the team and taking part in practice will be a great learning experience.
Both Knies and Tverberg have a bright future in Toronto ahead of them. Fans will likely see Tverberg playing with the Toronto Marlies and Knies with the Maple Leafs very soon. Tverberg is on a PTO (Player Tryout) with the Marlies for the rest of this AHL season and Calder Cup playoffs.