Insiders Agree on Sticking Point in Maple Leafs-Matthew Knies Negotiations

Getting a deal done before Tuesday would avoid that pressure entirely, and according to TSN, Treliving "would like to lock up ahead of the opening of free agency."

“It does seem like there’s at least been some slow progress here between the Leafs and Knies’ camp,” Chris Johnston said on TSN's "Insider Trading" on Friday. “They seem to be focused on a five-year term, which I think might offer the solution here to solving this quandary.

"We’ll see if they’re able to get him signed before Tuesday. I think that’s something the team would like to do, still a couple of days to get that business done."

Fellow NHL insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff echoed Johnston's comments, saying that the two sides are having a hard time agreeing to terms on a new deal, mostly because of the different preferences regarding the length of the new contract.

“My understanding is they cannot come to an agreement on term,” Frank Seravalli said on the "JD Bunkis Podcast" on Friday. “It’s impossible to even get close to a framework of a deal without first narrowing in on a term length that’s acceptable for both parties.”

Seravalli floated a hypothetical contract on the podcast for a much lower total value than the one projected by AFP Analytics (seven years and $50.5 million overall).

"If I were to say three (years) by $7 million, does that sound reasonable?" Seravalli wondered.