Knies Could Land Slafkovsky-Level Deal with Maple Leafs

Sportsnet analyst Nick Kypreos has suggested that if the Toronto Maple Leafs opt to bypass a bridge contract and lock Matthew Knies into a long-term deal, Knies might seek an extension similar to the one recently signed by Juraj Slafkovsky, who secured an eight-year, $60.8 million contract ($7.6 million per season) with the Montreal Canadiens.

It’s a huge amount of money for a forward who hasn’t proven he’s worth that kind of term or commitment, but it might also be a bet by the Maple Leafs that Knies will exceed that value as the contract rolls along. The question Toronto might be asking is whether to lock Knies up sooner than later to avoid a potential offensive explosion and him becoming a player worth much more in two or three seasons’ time.

Kypreos’s estimation might seem high, given Knies’ status as a second-round pick compared to Slafkovsky’s first-overall selection. One could also ask if Knies with worth the same thing as Alexis Lafreniere. He just signed a similar deal for seven seasons at $7.45 million per season. That feels like a stretch.

Make no mistake—draft position is a point both sides will leverage in negotiations. While Slafkovsky posted 50 points as a 19-year-old on a lower-scoring team last season, Knies’ numbers were slightly lower with 35 points, despite playing on a high-scoring Leafs team. Additionally, much of Knies’ time was spent in prominent roles alongside Toronto’s star forwards, a factor that contributed to his point totals.

However, even though Knies is still finding his footing in the NHL, he’s starting to show signs of life as a budding star. Some believe he’s primed for a breakout as he’s tallied four goals in the first eight games of the season. He has shown flashes of significant potential and if the Leafs wait too long, there is a chance Knies will be negotiating from a position of strength. In his first 91 NHL games, Knies has logged 40 points. If he scores 55 points in his next 70 games, what does that make him worth?

While Kypreos is only speculating, and he’s a polarizing figure in the world of sports analysts, he has been accurate in past predictions regarding Toronto’s negotiations.

Is Knies worth what Slafkovsky is worth? Right now, probably not. In four months and with a higher salary cap on the horizon? That might be a bit harder to predict.

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