Ex-NHLer Says Leafs Should Put Their Foot Down, Reveals His Top Dollar on Knies, Tavares

While one insider is suggesting the Toronto Maple Leafs may go with plan B, trading away the negotiating rights to Mitch Marner if a new deal can't be reached by the week before July 1st, one analyst is recommending the team's front office get tough with offers to pending free agent John Tavares, and restricted free agent Matthew Knies.

Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period says the Maple Leafs aren't waiting to start negotiating with Knies, but former NHLer turned analyst Paul Bissonnette believes the negotiations need to be one-sided.

As such, while sharing his thoughts on what the offer to Marner should be, Bissonnette said the Leafs should offer Knies $8.5 million per season for eight years, and tell him to take a hike if he's looking for an offer sheet. He adds the offer to Tavares should be $3 million per year for three years, or let him walk.

Knies has already said he's not interested in an offer sheet from another team, but those things tend to change when someone offers you a dump truck full of money. Knies is a player that teams throughout the league would love to have in their lineup.

As for Tavares, $3 million a year would possibly make him the least expensive point-per-game player in the entire NHL, and there's little doubt he will get better offers if he's not re-signed by the time free agency opens on July 1.

There is also the issue of "running it back," a phrase that likely makes a lot of Leafs fans cringe since it's been happening for several years with the results remaining the same.