Matthew Knies' Potential New Contract With the Maple Leafs Finally Comes to Light

As free agency kicks off in only a few short days, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of things to deal with first before they even think about signing anyone. John Tavares is still without a deal, and there's the huge elephant in the room too; that being Matthew Knies' future deal.

*UPDATE :
Maple Leafs Re-sign Forward John Tavares

A superstar in the making, he's expected to get a huge pay raise and given that he can be offered a deal by any team come July 1, it's important Toronto locks him up lest they lose him and be severely debilitated going into next season.

Discussions heavily revolve around how much Knies is going to get paid and reports say that number could reach upwards of $8-million for the next eight season; a wild number given he only has two seasons under his belt.

But for NHL Insider David Pagnotta, he believes that the sweet spot for Knies is going to still be expensive, but it won't be for as long as some anticipated:

If Pagnotta is right, then giving Knies a bridge deal for that price is actually a decent proposition all round. The young forward gets paid handsomely, and the Leafs get to hang onto him and see if he'll be worth paying even more come free agency in 2030.

It's a deal that will also appreciate over time, and with the rising cap over the next few seasons, it's not the most expensive deal they can make this summer, that's for sure.

Should Toronto end up paying Knies what Pagnotta predicts? Or should they end up going all-in on their young forward?

Toronto losing Mitch Marner this summer is going to be a really tough pill to swallow for the team and fans alike, and while it may seem like more of the same; paying a young player an exorbitant amount of money on the hopes it pays off, the team can't afford to lose him.

Knies, 22, had 58 points in 78 games for the Maple Leafs this season (29G, 29A) while also adding 182 hits, 41 blocks and a plus-7 rating; he's been called a unicorn by some for his unique blend of speed, power and scoring potential.

If the team decides not to keep him around for the long haul, they run the risk of losing not only Knies in a few seasons once this next deal is completed plus there's a real legitimate chance Auston Matthews might find another home when his deal ends.

So if the Maple Leafs and Brad Treliving want to make sure Knies stays in town, they need to give him as much as possible. $7-million is a good starting point, but it feels like he might deserve more.