Matthew Knies Has Made His Salary Demands to the Toronto Maple Leafs Crystal Clear
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is looking for a new contract with the team, and with free agency coming up, the deal has to be worked out soon.
Matthew Knies had a phenomenal sophomore season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as he finished with 29 goals and 58 points.
In the postseason, the young forward continued to showcase his talents, and it is clear that he has a bright future ahead of him.
This summer, the forward officially becomes a restricted free agent and the team is looking to sign him before he gets hit with an offer sheet.
Matthew Knies & Toronto Maple Leafs contract talks
According to The Fourth Period, Knies reportedly wants a bridge deal that would last between three to five seasons.
Furthermore, he hopes to make over $7 million per season. This seems to be in line with what the Leafs were hoping as they don't want to pay him more than $8 million per year.
Matthew Knies is believed to be targeting a contract in the 3-to-5-year range, with an average annual value expected to exceed $7 million. With $25.7 million in projected cap space for the 2025-26 season, the Maple Leafs have the flexibility to get Knies signed and address other top-six needs.
The Fourth Period also reported that the contract talks with John Tavares are going quite well. As for Mitch Marner, that is another story entirely.
The team has also re-engaged in contract talks with John Tavares on a short-term extension, and there seems to be a clear path to getting a deal done - just as there is with Knies.
Meanwhile, GM Brad Treliving is expected to reconnect with Mitch Marner and his camp this week to determine whether he's fully committed to testing free agency on July 1, or if there's room for negotiation in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, GM Brad Treliving is expected to reconnect with Mitch Marner and his camp this week to determine whether he's fully committed to testing free agency on July 1, or if there's room for negotiation in the coming weeks.
The Maple Leafs would certainly love to keep Knies, especially if Marner ends up leaving the team.
In that scenario, the Leafs would need someone new to keep the Core Four going, and Matthew Knies is shaping up to be that guy.
| POLL | ||
MAI 26 | 735 ANSWERS Matthew Knies Has Made His Salary Demands to the Toronto Maple Leafs Crystal Clear Is Matthew Knies going to sign a new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 712 | 96.9 % |
| NO | 23 | 3.1 % |
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