The Toronto Maple Leafs have inked one of their interesting young prospects, signing Ryan Tverberg to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will start next season and Tverberg will join the Toronto Marlies on a professional tryout for the rest of 2022-23.
General manager Kyle Dubas released a statement:
The Maple Leafs organization is very thankful to the University of Connecticut. Ryan’s development through his three seasons with the Huskies and subsequent signing today is a testament to the tireless work of head coach Mike Cavanaugh and all the staff within the UConn men’s hockey program.
Tverberg’s entry-level deal will carry an average annual value of $851,667.
It is rare for a player drafted so late to earn an NHL contract well before his eligibility runs out, but Tverberg has shown he’s not the average seventh-round pick. The 21-year-old was selected 213th overall in 2020 and quickly showed he could be a difference-maker at the NCAA level.
In three years at UConn, he racked up 69 points in 85 games, was selected as a Hockey East First-Team All-Star, and was nominated for the Hobey Baker. The undersized center was the engine on many nights, and will now see if his game can translate to the professional ranks.
Because the contract starts next year, it still leaves Toronto with one slot left for this spring—expected to be used on Matthew Knies.