Craig Button compares potential Knies extension to Matthew Tkachuk’s in Calgary under Brad Treliving

In the never-ending march to July 1st, the contract speculations continue to run rampant in Toronto. While Mitch Marner looks potentially prepared to walk, and John Tavares remains a question mark, it’s pretty clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs want to lock down 22-year-old RFA Matthew Knies, and the feeling is mutual for the young winger.

Having impressed through his rookie contract with the Leafs, the question now becomes what kind of extension he merits, between both length and value. With the cap going up, there’s more flexibility to offer bigger contracts, but Brad Treliving has to be careful before he uses up all that extra space with the flick of a pen.

On Friday, TSN analyst Craig Button jumped on Leafs Morning Take to give his perspective on the busy weeks leading up to July 1st for the Maple Leafs. Speaking with Nick Alberga and guest co-host Carter Hutton, he said that Knies’ situation is very similar to another Treliving faced in his time as GM of the Calgary Flames, when working on extending Matthew Tkachuk to his first professional deal.

“Tkachuk only signed his contract, I believe, on the night or two before the regular season started,” Button said. “He was holding out, and it ended up being a three-year contract. Now, my understanding is all Tkachuk was asking for was the Draisaitl contract. And if you go back and look at where Matthew Tkachuk was at that time compared to where Draisaitl was when he signed that contract. That would have been a phenomenal contract for Matthew Tkachuk and the Calgary Flames. Brad went the short term, he ended up losing Mathew Tkachuk.”

Before cashing in big in 2024 to become the highest paid player in the league, Leon Draisaitl signed for eight years at $8.5 million annually after his rookie deal. While there’s been discussion of a bridge contract for Knies, it’ll only end up costing them more long-term for a player who has clearly stated his desire to stay in Toronto, and who has already proven the value he can bring to the team.

“So I think with Matthew Knies, that type of player, I mean we use all kinds of descriptors, unicorn, unique, on what he brings to the table. I think if anything, the Matthew Tkachuk situation should be a guideline for Brad Treliving to sign him for eight years,” Button said.

It’s hard to imagine an 8x$8.5 million contract for Knies would be too controversial in Toronto, considering what some of his teammates are making. If anything, it might just be a relief to see the possible future franchise cornerstone locked down sooner rather than later, before any contract drama can occur.