Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies wants to remain with team, believes contract will be handled in summer

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is a pending restricted free agent, but he’s not particularly concerned about reaching a new deal for the time being.

Knies has emerged as one of the Leafs’ breakout players, forging a bridge between the win-now present and the future. He’s been a staple of the first line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, while showing flashes of stardom throughout the year.

“I’m new to [contract negotiations], but I can’t say I’ve thought about it too much,” Knies told Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus. “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.”

Mitch Marner and John Tavares are also pending unrestricted free agents, and it’s incumbent upon Maple Leafs general Brad Treliving to find new deals for three of his most important players. Marner and Tavares have both shown every indication they want to remain with the Maple Leafs, with the latter reportedly hoping to get a new deal in place ahead of the trade deadline. Knies is confident that all three Leafs forwards will find a way to stick it out with the 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.”

It’ll be compelling to see how much room Treliving will be able to operate with, as Marner could reportedly receive a new deal upwards of $13 million annually, while many believe Tavares will reach a contract approximately worth $7 million annually over three years. Knies is in a different scenario, as this is his first scenario dealing with a major contract extension, but he’s proved to be an invaluable piece for the Maple Leafs, their best under-25 player by some distance, with the potential to emerge as one of the defining power forwards of his cohort.

For now, we’ll just have to wait, as Knies could drive his value up with a stellar end to the regular season and a strong showing in the playoffs.