Brad Treliving, GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will have his hands full shortly with some of the contracts he may or may not give out. While veteran players like Mitch Marner and John Tavares are the talk of the town since they’re upcoming unrestricted free agents, there’s a critical piece to this puzzle that needs to be discussed, and that guy is restricted free agent Matthew Knies. 

The 2021 second-round pick has become an integral part of the Maple Leafs’ roster since stepping into the NHL at the end of the 2022-23 season. Knies has already surpassed his rookie season numbers. In 80 games during the 2023-24 campaign, he had 15 goals and 20 assists, but this season, he’s already notched 21 goals and has 16 assists. At 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds, he brings a power-forward skill set the Leafs have craved for years.

The chatter might be picking up about what Knies’ contract extension might look like, but that’s not where his focus is right now. 

“I’m new to [contract negotiations], but I can’t say I’ve thought about it too much,” Knies told Daily Faceoff. “There’s not many games left until the playoffs. I think that’s something that’s going to get figured out in the summer, and that’s when I can put more thought into it.” 

Although this is Knies’ first time dealing with a contract extension, he had similar feelings when he was younger and the guys around him were starting to get their college commitments. Whether you’re 22 and trying to figure out what your worth is or you’re 14 and seeking to find a college to play at, it’s hard for a hockey player not to compare themselves to their peers to know what their value is. That is the only other situation that Knies can liken this process to. 

“You always have to have a good corner with you and people to give you good advice,” Knies said. “My agent has been with me since I was 13 or 14 years old — he’s like a family friend now, so if you have the right people around you, it makes it a lot easier of a decision for a college commitment or a contract. It’s nice to have someone that will take care of you in that process.” 

Sometimes, the talk of a player’s contract can become overwhelming, but Knies hasn’t had to deal with much of media circus about the topic. It’s fair to say that right now, Marner and Tavares are more of a focal point, but the important thing is that all three players love playing for the Maple Leafs. 

“I’m sure [Marner and Tavares are] getting a lot more attention for it, but I think they’re on the same page as me,” Knies said. “I don’t think we’re worried about it; we all want to stay, and we’re all going to try to figure out how we can manage to all stay here.” 

There’s still plenty of time for Knies’ stock to grow, especially since he’s playing on the top line with Marner and Auston Matthews, whom Knies just watched play in the 4 Nations tournament. 

“You’re kind of itching to get back at it and play when you’re watching those kinds of games, but it was nice to get the break,” he said. “I think we’re just excited for playoff hockey. That was the closest thing you could get to playoff hockey, and we’re just itching to get there.” 

Knies is a player that every NHL team would want, and he is certainly worth around $5 million annually at minimum, but it will all come down to what the organization can afford and how much term either side wants to commit to. From the sounds of it, we won’t know what this number will be until the offseason, but Leafs fans have no reason to be worried or concerned since he is under team restriction. 

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