The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly extended forward Matthew Knies to a six-year contract on Sunday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
6x$7.75M https://t.co/OQ9CroKnW6
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 29, 2025
The deal carries an AAV of $7.75 million for a value of $46.5 million over the lifetime of the contract. The LeafsNation’s Nick Alberga reported that the JJ Peterka contract that he signed with the Utah Mammoth motivated the two parties to get the deal done. With this contract done, the Leafs avert the threat of an offer sheet while getting one of their key pending free agents locked up well before the start of free agent frenzy on July 1st.
Knies has emerged as one of the Leafs’ most important players both now and in the long-term future, coming off a breakout season where he spent the majority of the campaign on the top line. He finished fifth on the team in scoring with 58 points (29 goals and 29 assists) in 78 games while adding seven points (five goals and two assists) in 13 playoff games.
This is the latest major piece of business done by GM Brad Treliving, just days removed from getting forward John Tavares re-signed to a hometown discount on Friday and reshuffling the Leafs’ DNA at the draft by emphasizing size and tenacity. Of course, there are reports of the Leafs working on a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, centred around Mitch Marner who is slated to leave his boyhood team after a decade of service. At the time of filing, there is no indication that a transaction is close though the two sides continue to discuss this complex trade.
Additionally, The Athletic’s James Mirtle reported that Brad Marchand will be the team’s primary target in free agency should he fail to ink an extension with the Florida Panthers. The Knies extension means the Leafs have roughly $13.5 million in cap space, which could be enough to get Marchand signed to a deal with an AAV north of $8 million AAV along with another forward such as Andrew Mangiapane.
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.