NHL insider believes Matthew Knies 'targeting' $7M AAV, drops latest on Mitch Marner, John Tavares extension talks with Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs pending RFA Matthew Knies could be targeting a new contract for a reported $7 million AAV this summer.

In a piece published on Monday, the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta noted that Toronto management had wasted no time in getting to work following their playoff elimination at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

According to Pagnotta, general manager Brad Treliving has reached out to Knies’ camp after the dust settled on the Brendan Shanahan situation. Pagnotta noted that negotiations between the Leafs and Knies’ people are expected to resume on Monday.

Pagnotta reported on The Fan 590 that Knies’ goal is to land a three to five-year deal somewhere in the $7 million AAV range. Depending on where the situation is headed, Knies could ask for more.

Knies had a breakout season in 2024-25, scoring 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games this season. He chipped in five goals in 13 games during the postseason this year and looked dominant more than a few times throughout Toronto's playoff run.

With about $25 million in cap space, the club should have no trouble figuring something out with Knies. However, Knies is not the only pending free agent for the team. As such, the belief is that depending on how the Knies situation goes, so will the remainder of Toronto’s signings this summer.

Negotiations set to resume between Toronto Maple Leafs, Tavares and Marne

John Tavares looks determined to work something out to remain in Toronto this summer - Source: Imagn

David Pagnotta pointed out that negotiations between the Toronto Maple Leafs and other free-agents-to-be Mitch Marner and John Tavares are set to resume this week.

As Pagnotta noted, the path toward keeping Tavares in Toronto is a short-term deal. While Pagnotta did not drop a specific dollar value for Tavares, it is believed the deal could resemble Knies’.

If that’s the case, the Leafs could be looking to keep Tavares for about $6 to $7 million per season on a three or four-year deal.

Then, there’s the ongoing Mitch Marner saga.

It is expected that Treliving and Marner’s camp will touch base to see if Marner is still preparing to hit the free-agent market or if he is amenable to discussing a contract with the Maple Leafs. If Marner’s camp is willing to discuss a deal with Toronto, there could be some hope that the team could keep Marner in the fold.

All signs point toward Marner looking to test the free-agent waters this offseason. But there’s always the chance that the right offer could entice Marner to remain in Toronto.