Report: Matthew Knies inks six-year, $7.75M AAV extension with Maple Leafs

Knies, Tavares’ loyalty is a DNA change that brightens Leafs’ short and long-term outlook

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Matthew Knies and John Tavares clearly have loyalty in their DNA, and it’s a quality that significantly brightens both the short and long-term outlook for the Toronto Maple Leafs, upon signing new extensions before July 1.

Knies reportedly signed a six-year extension worth $7.75 million, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report. This constitutes a massive win for both Knies and the Maple Leafs, as general manager Brad Treliving is off to a tremendous start during a summer that promised seismic change. Knies is a modern power forward that is just 22 years old and he ascended into a breakout star during the 2024-25 season, playing on both special teams units, where his size and ability to easily box out defenders near the net-front helped the Maple Leafs’ five-forward power play find its optimal rhythm after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. He’s becoming a more reliable penalty killer as well, and you can envision him turning into a lockdown player that can finally get the new, promising and uncertain vision of the Maple Leafs over the wall.

This piece from November encapsulates Knies’ ability to drive the net, win in transition and how he benefits from the gravity effect that Matthews commands, at least when he’s shooting in all-world form. And it’s clear that the next wave of the Maple Leafs may be built in Knies’ visage. Treliving and Maple Leafs scouting director Mark Leach both emphasized that size, tenacity and physicality were core elements they were looking for during the 2025 NHL Draft, and you have to figure these qualities will inform their strategies when evaluating players who fit the team’s short and long-term prognosis. In many respects, Knies provides different qualities than any other star forward during the Maple Leafs’ core era, and after signing a team-friendly deal while playing a relentless, unfazed style of game, he ought to receive a standing ovation during the home opener this fall.

After spending two full seasons stapled to Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on Toronto’s first line, Knies emerged as arguably the team’s second-best forward during the playoffs, he’s the bridge between the team’s uncertain future and the current, hyper-localized contention window. He’s now a future pillar of the Maple Leafs, a building block the franchise can look to after Matthews and William Nylander begin to age out of their primes, and his contract ought to age very well as the salary cap is set to rise expeditiously.

Tavares signed a four-year deal worth $4.38 million per year and now it’s just a matter of selecting which moment they’re going to use for his statue on Legends Row. When Tavares inked his original seven-year, $11-million deal with the Maple Leafs on Canada Day 2018, it was the catalyst for the Core Four era in earnest. There’s been almost a hagiographic attempt to frame the deal as a team-friendly contract, but Tavares exercised his right as the best free agent of the 2018 class to come home, and became arguably the most important free agent signing the Maple Leafs landed in the 21st century, spurning the New York Islanders among other suitors.

This time around, Tavares could’ve easily taken more money elsewhere, but it was clear from the outset of the season that he had no intention of leaving home. He graciously passed the captaincy over to Matthews after five seasons, and after recording 38 goals and 74 points last season, he could’ve commanded up to $8 million per year on the open market. It’s possible this may be Tavares’ final contract of his carer and in the short-term, he’s still a very useful No. 2 centre, with a potential idea looming that he could be the best No. 3 centre in the league (depending on how you look at the rising stardom of Florida’s Anton Lundell) which would be a role that certainly benefits the Leafs’ long-term outlook as well. Tavares’ game has always been predicated on his innate scoring touch and ability to dominate in the slot since he was a prodigy, while his hockey intelligence and faceoff abilities remain elite, so it stands to reason that his game ought to age well during his mid-to-late 30s.

And to be clear, we’re not trying to be anti-labour here! Players should exercise their rights to command as much money as possible, but it’s also a refrain that Leafs fans certainly don’t want to hear after former general manager Kyle Dubas and departed president Brendan Shanahan fenced the team into several inflexible positions. Tavares perhaps knows this all too well and he’s arguably embodied the historical ethos of what it means to be a Maple Leaf more than any player on the team during the last decade.

Knies is now paid handsomely, with his term expiring just as he’s set to entire his prime. You don’t necessarily envision an 102-point season six years down the line, but you can see Knies graduating firmly into an 85-point player with physicality, increased defensive awareness, a willingness to bully smaller defenders while getting to high-danger areas with skill: I often think of a play where Knies didn’t score, where he pulled the puck between-the-legs and almost dangled Igor Shesterkin for a goal-of-the-year candidate before Braden Schneider stopped him at the last gasp on October 19.

The aggregate sum of Knies and Tavares’ average annual values now amount to $12.13 million per year, which may be less than what Marner commands on the open market. This isn’t meant to artificially drum up another pre-free agency referendum on Marner’s character, only to suggest that the Leafs have $13.57 million in cap space to operate with ahead of July 1, via David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. It’s been reported that if the Maple Leafs execute a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, while Nicolas Roy and Nicolas Hague could be the return package. It’s not the return many envisioned if Marner were dealt last summer, but Roy is a cost-effective third-line centre with above-average defensive metrics, while Hague is a towering 26-year-old defenceman that perfectly fits Treliving, Leach and head coach Craig Berube’s vision.

We’re not suggesting that you should start planning the parade, but the Maple Leafs’ short and long-term outlook are brighter than it appeared a week ago. Knies and Tavares have loyalty in their DNA, and that may be as strong as an internal provocation for this revamped Leafs team heading into July and beyond.

Get ready for wall-to-wall coverage of one of the biggest days in the calendar — the Daily Faceoff Live Free Agency Special goes live on July 1st at 11 AM EST. Host Tyler Yaremchuk is joined by Carter Hutton, Matthew Barnaby, Jeff Marek, Hart Levine, Colby Cohen, Jonny Lazarus, and insiders from across the Network for three hours of in-depth analysis, live reactions, and real-time updates on every major signing and trade. From blockbuster deals to under-the-radar moves, we’re breaking it all down as it happens. Don’t miss a minute — catch the full special live on DailyFaceoff.com and Daily Faceoff’s YouTube.

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