Former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving actually made a brilliant move during his tenure with the team. It didn’t look like it at the time, but now, it has become more than evident.
Despite Treliving’s shortcomings, whether justified or not, he made one fantastic move: Signing Matthew Knies to the contract he did.
The Leafs needed to extend Knies as his entry-level deal (ELC) was about to expire. The club did, signing the power forward to a six-year deal worth $46.5 million.
The $7.75 million cap hit looks cheap compared to the going rates nowadays.
The Leo Carlsson offer sheet effectively set the bar so high that any contract signed before that looks like peanuts.
And that’s precisely the case with Knies.
The Maple Leafs have gotten 20-plus goals from Knies in back-to-back seasons. He’s set career-highs in points, becoming a fixture in Toronto’s top six. His value has skyrocketed so much that teams are willing to pay massive returns to get him.
But there’s one other issue that makes Knies’ contract look even better. It’s that factor that could make Knies’ deal age beautifully for Toronto.
Zegras Contract Makes Knies’ Deal Look Like Bargain
The recent signing of Trevor Zegras by the Philadelphia Flyers has made Knies’ contract look like a bargain. The Flyers were willing to pay over $9 million AAV for Zegras, a player with comparable production to that of Knies.
That’s roughly $2 million more per season compared to Knies. And it happened after the Carlsson offer sheet. Because of that, the price tag went up. It made Zegras more expensive even though there’s no reason to believe he’s objectively better than the Maple Leafs former second-rounder.
Sure, Knies and Zegras are not the same type of player. That’s why Knies is arguably more valuable. The 23-year-old is a freight train out there. He forechecks like a demon and isn’t afraid to drop the boom on the opposition.
Zegras isn’t exactly the most reliable forward defensively, though he could play center. However, Zegras hasn’t really cemented himself as a center. That’s why his contract looks bloated when compared to Knies’. If one compares Knies and Zegras as wingers, it’s clear that the Maple Leafs forward is more valuable. That’s another reason why his contract looks all that much better.
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Maple Leafs Should Hold onto Knies
The idea of trading Knies should send shivers down Maple Leafs’ fans’ spines. Even if the return were massive, replacing Knies isn’t easy. There’s no one in the system Toronto could turn to fill his spot in the lineup.
Finding a comparable player on the free-agent or trade market is a tall order. That’s why the Maple Leafs must hold onto Knies.
Unless the Leafs are serious about rebuilding, which could be an option at some point down the line, it makes absolutely no sense to move on from Knies. Toronto was lucky to land him as a second-rounder when they did. In retrospect, Knies should have been a top-10 pick.
Those are the breaks in the NHL Draft. Some first-rounders flame out, while some of the later rounds yield great players.
The Maple Leafs practically stumbled into Knies, and, well, they’re better off for it.
Maple Leafs Former GM Looks Brilliant Because of This