New Contract Comparable for Matthew Knies May Make Maple Leafs Nervous
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
A new contract comparable for Matthew Knies would put his cap hit well above what most will be comfortable with the Maple Leafs paying him.
During training camp, Matthew Knies addressed his future with the Leafs, noting he wanted to be a Leaf long-term, as he entered the final season of his entry-level deal.
The 22-year-old second-round pick from 2021 has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1st, but so far, nothing has been imminent. With that being said, a handful of reports have surfaced, with Nick Kypreos revealing that the Leafs wanted a long-term extension, but that it would push Knies' ask to $7.6M per season, comparable to Juraj Slafkovsky.
More recently, TSN's Craig Button was asked about a new deal for Knies on TSN 1050's "OverDrive", noting that it wouldn't be as high as Salfkovsky and used a more appropriate player and contract as a comparable.
"The price for hockey players doesn't come down, it only goes up. You have this player that's clearly demonstrated he can be a really good, important player on your team and to me, I would try to get that done sooner rather than later and I would try to get it done long-term.
A comparable player that I use, and it's not just comparable player in terms of contract, it's also comparable in the way he plays, and that's Matt Boldy from the Minnesota Wild. If you can get that type of a contract done for Knies right now I would."
A comparable player that I use, and it's not just comparable player in terms of contract, it's also comparable in the way he plays, and that's Matt Boldy from the Minnesota Wild. If you can get that type of a contract done for Knies right now I would."
The 23-year-old Boldy signed his 7-year deal in January of last year, which carries a $7M cap hit. Like Knies, Boldy is off to a hot start this season with 6 goals and 13 points in 12 games for the Wild.
Knies' current deal carries a minimal cap hit of $925K, so any extension will result in a significant raise for the pending RFA, but it is one that the Leafs should be working hard to complete sooner than later. As Knies continues to skate on the Leafs' top line, and the Leafs continue to work through their list of pending free agents, it will be interesting to see just how long it takes for a deal to come together, keeping Knies in Toronto long-term.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 8 | 1411 ANSWERS New Contract Comparable for Matthew Knies May Make Maple Leafs Nervous What will Matthew Knies' new deal look like? | ||
| 4-5 years, $3-5M per season | 566 | 40.1 % |
| 6-8 years, $5-7M per season | 611 | 43.3 % |
| Neither. It will be a cheaper 1-2 year bridge deal | 178 | 12.6 % |
| 8 years but way more $$ | 56 | 4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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