July 1: The Knies deal was officially registered today after issuing him a qualifying offer yesterday, the club announced. Because of that, he was technically an RFA for a few hours, so the deal doesn’t qualify as a true extension. With Knies’ deal on the books and the Marner sign-and-trade completed, the team enters the free agent signing period with $5.8MM in cap space to spend on one open roster spot. The deal breaks down as follows, per PuckPedia:
2025-26: $3MM salary, $6MM signing bonus
2026-27 – 2027-28: $7MM salary, $2MM SB
2028-29: $6.5MM salary, $500,000 SB
2029-30: $6.25MM salary
2030-31: $6.25MM salary, 10-team no-trade list
June 29: The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Matthew Knies have agreed to a six-year, $46.5MM extension, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal comes with a $7.75MM AAV.
Knies, who is coming off a 29-goal, 58-point campaign, will remain in Toronto long-term after being selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Knies was set for restricted free agency, but Toronto wrapped up the winger before he could receive any offers from additional teams. The 22-year-old showcased his abilities last season, sniping nearly 30 goals while forming one of the top lines in the league alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. With Marner likely to leave the Maple Leafs in free agency, the team made sure not to lose Knies or recently extended John Tavares.
The extension comes after Knies discussed his hope to remain in Toronto long term at his end-of-season media availability on May 20th. In part, he stated: “I love to play in this city. I think it’s a blast. I want to be here and I want to play here. That’s all that really matters to me,” he said. “I love this group and everyone in this locker room. I think there’s really a chance to win here, and I think it’s the best chance for me to win.”
The American-born Knies has scored 44 goals and 94 points in 161 games for Toronto. Knies also showcased a strong performance during the playoffs last season, posting five goals and seven points in 13 games.
The extension leaves the Leafs with just north of $13.5MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. Now that Knies is signed, GM Brad Treliving can turn his focus to other pending RFAs, including Nicholas Robertson and Pontus Holmberg, before setting his sights on unrestricted free agency.
Tidy piece of business. Good deal.
Knies/Tavares making it easy for Leafs brass. Tidy business to have those two on their new deals
Also signed both for the same price as JT made last year
Yikes! It should be closer to 5 annually.
I’ll have what he’s having
based on what exactly?
Are you kidding? His 82 game average right now is 48 points, That’s not 7.5 million annually in anybody’s book, Well except for Brad Treliving, But the Leafs have something exciting going on there, There building a winner.
Wow his rookie year where he had a concussion and his handful of games before the 23 playoffs as a 20 year old straight outa college took a bit to adjust. The saltiness in this thread is incredible
Nick Suzuki would dictate the number knies is getting is on par if not below par considering the cap has gone up significantly since
Wilf, it is always fun to see you weigh in on the economics of hockey and openly admit that you just don’t grasp the concept. This just in: business always try to sign an employee for the smallest paycheck while employees always attempt to get the most. Then they negotiate and come to an agreement. Then you tell us that a hockey team could have signed a player for less. Please keep posting. You have become a must-see posting gem.
This isn’t surprising of Toronto signing Matthew Knies to a long term deal. His AAV of $7.75M is a little over his market value which should have been around $6M but Knies production could very much reach in the 65 to 70 point range next season. But this year’s market value in general is overvalued because of the cap increase. However, Toronto typically has to overpay to keep top talent. Good business though for Toronto in keeping one of their better talents in the end.
This isn’t an overpay there were talks of 4 year 8+ there was also talks of 10.5 offer sheets
Too much tsn or Sportsnet for you
Knies is already one of the better power forwards in the league and he still has upside. It’s a great deal.
me thinks FtH may be artificial
Lol leafs fans are something special….with a capital R
It defines overpay, Just because some idiotic GM floated a rumor about a 10.5 over sheet, Dosen’t mean 7.5 isn’t an overpay. But I get it, Treliving is building a winner in Toxic Toronto. Lol!!!!!!
Yes, Knies is one of the top 150 power forwards.
def wasn’t getting 10.5 and the 4×8 likely was way too short.
@bigdaddyt – $10.5?!? LOL! In what world? I don’t buy that claim at all. Technically, yes, it’s overpay at this point in time. A player’s market value is based on his point production. Knies is not 70+ point producer at this time. So yes, it’s an overvalued deal at this stage.
@KL – You obviously didn’t read my comment.
A players market value is based on what a team is willing to pay.
Guys are paid to score goals and defend as well
sparky it’s not an overpay.
Josh Norris, Nick Suzuki, Andrei svechnikov all had 65 or less points when they got paid (more than knies btw).
you can hate the Leafs but to say this is an overpay doesn’t align with the market and current cap situation.
Thank you. Not many students of economics hanging around here.
That quote from Knies is in such contrast to Mitch Marner’s combative relationship with the media, wow.
There’s no way they’ll replace his 102 points but this Leafs team could be a much tighter group next year with Knies taking on a larger leadership role and Mitch’s attitude gone.
It’s hard to believe Treliving was actually trying to extend Marner just a couple months ago. Long-term I think they dodged a bullet. Knies should be wearing a letter pretty soon.
Great point. Pretty much every team should be looking to shed their 100 point scorers.
Would you rather have Zach Hyman @5.5 per or Knies @7.75?
So overpaid it hurts. Really just throwing money away in Toronto