Leafs hope to sign Knies 'as soon as possible'

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving wants to sign restricted free agent Matthew Knies to a contract extension in the near future.

"I say this all the time: I'd like to get it done as soon as possible," Treliving said Thursday, according to Sportsnet. "Usually, term and money are the only two issues that come into play on contract negotiations."

Knies' entry-level contract expired when the Leafs' season ended at the hands of the Florida Panthers earlier this month. He's eligible to sign a new deal at any point.

The 22-year-old has been the center of plenty of offer sheet speculation throughout the 2024-25 campaign, but Knies said at his end-of-season press conference that he wants to remain a Maple Leaf.

The Leafs have approximately $25.7 million in cap space this offseason. However, Toronto's flexibility hinges on the futures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares, who become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Knies potted a career-high 29 goals and 58 points this season, his second full NHL campaign. He also registered 182 hits and averaged 18:31 per contest while primarily playing on the top line with Marner and Auston Matthews.

"I thought Matthew had a tremendous year. We're sort of seeing him evolve in front of our eyes. It's a big step for a young player to become a really important player," Treliving said. "He became a really important player."

The executive added, "Matthew's a big part of the future moving forward."