The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed college free agent forward Jacob Quillan to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.
The contract carries an average annual value of $875,000 and begins next season.
Quillan, a Dartmoth, N.S. native, won the NCAA national championship last year as a sophomore — beating out Matthew Knies’ Minnesota Golden Gophers — with Quinnipiac after potting the overtime winner, also earning tournament MVP at the Frozen Four.
The 22-year-old had 17 goals and 46 points in 39 games in his junior season for Quinnipiac and had 93 points in his three years of college hockey.
Quinnipiac was ousted from this year’s Frozen Four by Boston College. Quillan was ranked No. 2 amongst college free agents by Sportsnet’s scout Jason Bukala.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Quillan will now sign an amateur tryout contract with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for the remainder of this season.
He also mentioned other teams had shown interest in Quillan.
“I think Boston was one of the other teams that was really in there, big on him, but there were others,” Friedman said during Monday Night Hockey on Sportsnet. “There were a lot of teams interested.”