Potentially Problematic Report Emerges Involving Matthew Knies and the Maple Leafs

On Friday, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta shared that the Leafs and pending RFA Matthew Knies have differing opinions of where negotiations stand, with one side believing they are close and the other, not so much.

Although Leafs GM Brad Treliving wanted an extension done by June 30th to avoid the possibility of an offer-sheet being given to Knies, time is quickly running out with the draft taking place next weekend and July 1st just a week away.

There is still time to hammer out a new deal for the Arizona native, but The Athletic's James Mirtle made an appearance on "The JD Bunkis Podcast" Monday, where he shared an unfortunate update on the negotiations between Knies and the Maple Leafs when asked whether it will be done before free agency opens up.

After bending over backwards and giving young stars whatever they wanted under the previous regime with Kyle Dubas, Brad Treliving is doing his best to change that culture by using a more direct and hard-nosed approach to negotiating.

He should be careful given how the scenario played out with Matthew Tkachuk during his time as GM of the Calgary Flames, but the hope is that he has learned from those negotiations and is able to quickly find a common ground that works for Knies and the Maple Leafs ahead of July 1st.