Calgary Flames’ offer sheet targets: Matthew Knies

Knies has quickly developed into a key player for the Leafs, recording a career high in goals and points this season. He’s set to receive a large pay raise and has been the subject of rumors for being a popular offer sheet candidate. Will the Flames be one of those teams who reach out? Let’s explore this further.

Compensation

For reference, here is the updated compensation chart for offer sheets. The NHL recently released new numbers for this offseason, and Calgary still has the cap space and assets to offer sheet pretty much any eligible player in the league.

Matthew Knies’ production

Knies was a second-round pick by the Leafs in 2021. He would jump straight into the NHL from college, quickly establishing himself as a top-six forward on the team. This season, he finished with 29 goals and 58 points, placing him fifth on the team in scoring.

It’s clear at this stage that Knies has been a total steal from the second round. His future in the NHL is bright, and there’s no reason why he can’t be a regular 30-goal scorer, given that he’s only 22 years old. Knies is coming on his ELC, and will be commanding quite the salary this summer.

Fit with the Flames

As mentioned, Knies has been connected to many offer sheet rumours, and the Flames have been a prominent team within them. So would it make sense for the Flames to make a run at him?

Given Knies’ current play, he’s likely to get more than $7 million on his next deal. The Flames can easily afford that, but they would likely have to pay more to make the offer sheet more enticing.

Knies would instantly be one of the best wingers on the team, and he would address the Flames’ scoring issues quite heavily. The main thing is also his age, which makes him the perfect player to add to the team regarding the timeline. While he isn’t a centre, he would be a huge upgrade on the wing and could potentially blossom into an elite player for the team.

I think Knies will get tons of interest this summer, including from the Flames. His trajectory and potential as an NHLer make him an intriguing target for teams to take a run at. However, given Toronto’s current dilemma, I’m not sure if we’ll see a Knies offer sheet become a reality.

Could Knies be a real option for the Flames?

While the Flames have the cap space and bigger role to entice Knies, an offer sheet surrounding him may be tough. On the Flames’ side, they would have to give up their 2026 first round pick to acquire him, and that doesn’t make much sense for the team to do especially since Knies isn’t a centre.

Then there’s Toronto’s side. The Leafs suffered another heartbreaking Game 7 loss, and the fanbase is in turmoil. With sources suggesting that Mitch Marner is heading out of town, it only makes Knies that much important to them. There are also the comments that came from Knies directly, indicating his interest in remaining in Toronto, but with offer sheets, you never know.

With the Leafs likely to lose Marner to free agency, Knies will be a top priority for them. Expect the team to offer him a generous contract extension, as his role on the team will only get bigger once the core four is finally split.

Therefore, I don’t see a Knies offer sheet happening. Even if he wanted to leave Toronto, it wouldn’t make sense for the Flames to give up premium assets for a player who doesn’t address a huge organizational need. The Flames would likely also have to overpay him big time in order to convince him to go to another Canadian market instead of the States.

The Flames are better off keeping those assets and utilizing them either to draft or to acquire a player who addresses a true need, such as a young centre with a high pedigree. Knies doesn’t fit that mold, and he’s likely sticking around in Toronto as his importance is high for them.