It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours. We’re over a week away from the start of April, but there are plenty of rumours to discuss. The trade deadline saw plenty of shifting of rosters. However, the July 1 start of the off-season could see some more changes to teams. General managers are trying to figure things out and keep their players in the fold. One team that has some tough decisions is the Toronto Maple Leafs. This edition of NHL rumours deals with one forward that could get a massive raise this off-season.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Could Get Massive Raise or Offer Sheet
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala appeared on Sportsnet 590 The Fan and they discussed the future of Matthew Knies with the team. Bukala said that the pending restricted free agent could get a massive raise or could also be a target of an offer sheet this summer.
“It could go to $9M… Sign Knies first and see what’s leftover… because he’s going to get offer sheeted.”
Jason Bukala projects what Matthew Knies’ next contract could cost and why the #Leafs should prioritize extending him with @mattymar89 & @futamichael.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/Sa9noBVMoT
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) March 21, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Analysis: Knies is a pending RFA and has played a massive part of the Maple Leafs’ success this season. The Phoenix native has 25 goals and 45 points in 66 games this campaign. He’s looking for raise from his $925,000 salary this season. Numbers like what he’s posted could land him a nice payday.
The Leafs would love to keep him, but the team is always up against the salary cap. Finding the money may be hard for Toronto General Manager Brad Treliving, who has a few different things to deal with this summer.
Both John Tavares and Mitch Marner are pending unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and both are important parts of the roster. Both Marner and Tavares are going to command a good chunk of the cap with Marner looking to get cash in on his massive payday.
This could make a deal for Knies tricky for Treliving to complete. Teams usually have plenty of control of RFAs, but an offer sheet could come into play.
What It Means
Bukala thinks that Knies is the perfect candidate for an offer sheet should he hit the open market. Offer sheets hadn’t been really used that often, but the St Louis Blues successfully got Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers via that method. The Blues saw the Oilers were against the cap and were able to take advantage of that fact.
Toronto is always up against the cap and a player like Knies would be a great addition to any roster. Teams would likely be willing to forfeit the necessary draft picks in order to get Knies on their team. This means the pressure is on Treliving to make sure one of his better young players stays in the fold.
Bukala thinks Knies could command something around $9 million on a long-term deal. Toronto will likely want to keep Knies for some part of his upcoming UFA years. However, that will likely cost them a pretty penny. A player like him hits and can score goals is hard to find and is likely to be an important component for the Leafs going forward.
Some like Bukala even think signing Knies should be the first priority instead of dealing with Marner and Tavares. Whatever the course of action, the Leafs will have to make some tough choices.
Main photo by: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The post NHL Rumours: Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Could Be Offer-Sheet Target appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.