Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours . The Toronto Maple Leafs have some crucial players who need new contracts after this season, and Matthew Knies is one of them. The 22-year-old is a pending RFA, and there is the possibility that he receives an offer sheet . In the previous offseason, the St. Louis Blues made two offer sheets . They claimed Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers . It was such a massive success for Blues general manager Doug Armstrong that there’s an understanding that it could become more common around the league.
Furthermore, with the salary cap rising drastically over the next three seasons, teams may become more ambitious with offer sheets. Teams like the Philadelphia Flyers could speed up the rebuilding process if they decide to go down that path. They have seven picks in the opening two rounds of the upcoming draft. However, according to an NHL insider, the Maple Leafs don’t have to worry about Knies being scooped.
Knies To Remain A Leaf
The discussions that Knies could be an offer-sheet target in the offseason have been shot down. TSN’s Chris Johnston reported on Insider Trading that there is no threat of an offer sheet to the Maple Leafs. He says this is because Knies has no interest in entertaining an offer sheet. Furthermore, Johnston says that Knies and his agent, Matt Federico, won’t be looking at an offer sheet heading into the market.
In addition, Toronto believes that they have plenty of cap space to get its business done this summer. As mentioned, general manager Brad Treliving’s plate will be full this offseason. Mitch Marner and John Tavares both come off the books, but require new deals. The priority will be to try to get Marner a new contract before July 1. He is Toronto’s leading scorer this season and likely their MVP. After that, negotiations with Tavares will begin. He’s projected to earn much less than Marner on their next deals.
Once everything is settled and the intentions of Marner and Tavares are clear, then Toronto can deal with Knies. Depending on the number of years he is offered, he’ll likely earn between $6 million and $8.5 million per season on his next contract. At the end of the segment, Johnston added that even if an offer sheet appeared on Toronto’s desk, they’d likely match it.
Stepping Up
Knies has been having an outstanding season and has cemented himself as one of the best power forwards in the league. The youngster has earned the respect to be named alongside Ottawa Senators left winger Brady Tkachuk and Washington Capitals right winger Tom Wilson . They are the only players to have over 25 goals and 150 hits. Furthermore, Knies has equalled the production of Tkachuk. The Senators’ captain has 29 goals and 55 points in 71 games this season. In comparison, Knies has the same number of goals and points as Tkachuk in 74 games. Tkachuk earns $8.2 million and is 25 years old.
Knies has got the attention of Leaf fans, management and opponents with his recent play. On Wednesday, he scored a hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning , including the overtime winner. Head coach Craig Berube has been taking note of his recent play. “He’s playing playoff hockey, that’s for sure, with how heavy he’s playing, skating, physical, & just on top of things. He’s been playing extremely well for the last couple of weeks,” Berube said.
Only four games remain on the schedule for the Maple Leafs as they look to hold on to clinch the Atlantic Division . Their next contest is on Saturday when they host the Montreal Canadiens .
Main Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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