Treliving Signs Key Pieces John Tavares and Knies
Before completing Marner's sign-and-trade to Vegas, Leafs' general manager Brad Treliving made two significant signings. First, he inked John Tavares to a four-year deal with a $4.38 million AAV. Next, he signed restricted free agent Knies to a six-year contract for $7.75 million annually.
In Tavares, the Maple Leafs extended their second-line center, coming off a 38-goal season. Tavares is routinely near the top of the league in faceoff percentage and is an important contributor on the Leafs' consistent top-ten power play unit.
Should the Leafs find a better alternative to play the second-line center role over the next couple of years, Tavares can seamlessly shift to third-line center. He can also play on the wing, as he did in the past when Toronto had Ryan O'Reilly, or on the occasions that coach Craig Berube stacks his top players together.
Knies' cap number won't hurt the Maple Leafs moving forward, especially for a player with such a high ceiling. The first-line left winger is coming off a career-high 29 goals and 58 points. He was one of only three NHL players to register 25+ goals and 150+ hits last season, and was the youngest in league history to do so at 22 years old.
He is an integral centerpiece of the Leafs' future and is signed for six more years, overlapping the Matthews and Nylander contracts. Knies will help offset Marner's production, especially on killing penalties, where he was a regular last season.
Knies is also built for the playoffs. He has been one of the Leafs' best players throughout his three playoff seasons. He doesn't shy away from physical play and excels in front of the net during the power play or at even-strength.
Treliving Avoids Free Agent Pratfalls
Rumors were rampant that Treliving wanted to sign UFA Brad Marchand from the Panthers, but Florida was proactive in keeping the band together from their Stanley Cup roster. They signed the 37-year-old Marchand to a six-year extension. This came after completing a maximum eight-year deal for Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett. The Panthers also signed defenseman Aaron Ekblad to an eight-year extension.
We'll never know if Treliving would have been able to restrain himself from signing any of these players in his search to change the Maple Leafs' "DNA", since the Panthers didn't let any of them hit the market.
Treliving should be thankful he didn't get the chance. Signing Marchand for six years is absurd for a player on the cusp of decline. All three Panthers play a robust style that will make maintaining their level of play more difficult. By not signing Marchand, the Leafs avoided a player who would soon be an anchor to their aspirations, with a very short-term window, at best.