Maple Leafs agree to six-year extension with 29-goal scorer

The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Matthew Knies have agreed to a six-year, $46.5M extension, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal comes with a $7.75M AAV.

Knies, who is coming off a 29-goal, 58-point campaign, will remain in Toronto long-term after being selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2021 draft.

Knies was set for restricted free agency, but Toronto wrapped up the winger before he could receive any offers from additional teams. The 22-year-old showcased his abilities last season, sniping nearly 30 goals while forming one of the top lines in the league alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. With Marner likely to leave the Maple Leafs in free agency, the team made sure not to lose Knies or recently extended John Tavares.

The American-born Knies has scored 44 goals and 94 points in 161 games for Toronto. Knies also showcased a strong performance during the playoffs last season, posting five goals and seven points in 13 games.

The extension leaves the Leafs with just north of $13.5M in cap space, per PuckPedia. Now that Knies is signed, GM Brad Treliving can turn his focus to other pending RFAs, including Nicholas Robertson and Pontus Holmberg, before setting his sights on unrestricted free agency.