Leafs GM Brad Treliving Creates Excitement With Comments Surrounding Matthew Knies

Before he met with the media on Thursday morning, Brad Treliving reportedly had already engaged in talks over an extension with Matthew Knies and his camp.

The re-engagement of extension talks comes on the heels of Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealing last week that the Leafs had essentially set a deadline of June 30th to get their pending RFA signed to a new deal to avoid any offer-sheet complications.

It was suspected that signing Knies was at the top of Treliving's to-do list and his comments on Thursday morning confirmed as much. When asked about a timeline on when to expect an extension signed, Treliving swiftly replied with an answer that pleased Leafs Nation.

Days after the Leafs lost a horrendous Game 7 against the Florida Panthers, the former second-round pick was asked about his future with the Maple Leafs, re-iterating that he wants to remain in Toronto long-term and has no intention of signing an offer-sheet.

The 22-year-old tallied an impressive 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games during his second full season in the blue and white -- barely scratching the surface of his potential.

While the feeling is mutual to get a deal done, as Treliving noted throughout his press conference regarding all of the team's expiring contracts, money and term will be the most difficult part. There is hope, however, that Treliving's conviction of getting a contract done as soon as possible will lead to a deal being struck in short order.