Matthew Knies repeatedly states desire to remain with Leafs, wasn’t at 100 percent for Game 7

Matthew Knies is widely considered to be the future pillar of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s not envisioning playing anywhere else, anytime soon.

Knies spoke at the team’s end-of-year media availability Tuesday, where he reiterated his desire multiple times to remain with the Maple Leafs.

“I want to be here. I want to play here. That’s all that matters to me,” Knies said.

The 22-year-old was asked again about free agency, and Knies repeated the exact same statement, making it abundantly clear that he’s not thinking of going elsewhere. Knies is a restricted free agent, so while the team is susceptible to a potential offer sheet, it can match any proposal from a rival club.

Knies has been an essential part of the Maple Leafs and ascended into a genuine star during the 2024-25 campaign, recording 29 goals and 58 points during the regular season, adding five goals and seven points in 13 playoff games. He is a genuine power forward, an essential part of the team’s power play and showed significant improvement as a penalty killer this season as well. Knies, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were the Maple Leafs’ most commonly used unit at 5-on-5 by a large margin, for the second consecutive season, and he glowed about his linemates Tuesday.

“I was pretty fortunate to play with the two best players in the NHL,” Knies said.

Knies also revealed that he wasn’t fully healthy for Game 7 against the Florida Panthers. He suffered an injury in Game 6 after colliding with Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola and played through the contest in visible pain. Knies also said he never considered missing Game 7.

“I wasn’t really 100 percent healthy. Not really going to disclose what it was. It almost prevented me to play the way I wanted to play, how much I wanted to play.”

Finding a new contract for Knies will be a priority for the Maple Leafs, in what could be a summer full of turbulent changes.