The OHL pre-season has ended, and as teams get ready to kick off the season this week, a trade has been announced. This afternoon the London Knights announced they have traded defender Nicolas Mattinen to the Flint Firebirds.
Mattinen was a 6th round pick, 179th overall in 2016 for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last season he played in 66 games for London, scored two goals and added six assists for eight points in the season. Prospect-Stats.com ranked him 101st overall in OHL defenders. He shot just 1.8% last season, but was used regularly by the Knights and is looked upon as a good defensive defenseman in the league.
He will join the Flint Firebirds this year, who already have one Maple Leafs prospect on the blueline in Fedor Gordeev. Neither are very offensive minded, so if they’re used together they could be a good shutdown pair. Flint felt very highly of Mattinen and London was paid quite well. Flint sent London a 2018 3rd (Flint), 2019 2nd (Flint), 2020 2nd Niagara), and a conditional 2019 2nd round pick as well (Mississauga).
The Flint Firebirds open their 2017/18 OHL season on Friday night on the road against the Kitchener Rangers and will meet London for the first time on October 27th, in London.
