Matthew Knies: The next greatest power forward
The Toronto Maple Leafs are only scratching the surface with what they have in Matthew Knies. I think he will excel under new head coach Craig Berube. Knies is the typical Berube-type player, and he will get every opportunity to showcase all his potential
The Toronto Maple Leafs are only scratching the service with what they have in Matthew Knies. I think he will excel under new head coach Craig Berube. Knies is the typical Berube-type player, and he will get every opportunity to showcase all his potential.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have needed a power forward like Matthew Knies for a while. Now that he's here, let's hope he stays long-term. Knies is a restricted free agent (RFA) after this season. Some think the Leafs should offer him a bridge deal (2-3 years), but I think the Leafs should go all-in and bet on him with a seven year contract extension.
Knies could become one of the NHL's best power forwards. He has the skill and size to do it. Now, he just needs it to all come together, which I think we're beginning to see this season. Knies registered 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 80 games last season. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)
He has seven goals and two assist for nine points and a 56% Expected Goals rating, in 14 games this season. He is on pace to score 38 goals and could become a 60-point player. Not bad for a 22-year-old playing in his second NHL season. An even more crazy stat is that he is averaging 2.5 hits per game this season and is on pace for 205 hits. Having a player who can score between 30-40 goals while also recording 200+ hits is a special player.
Toronto Maple Leafs need to keep Matthew Knies long-term
Depending on how much the NHL salary cap goes up next season, the Leafs could have as much as $27 million in available cap space.
Knies will get a fair piece of the pie if he signs long-term. Leafs GM Brad Treliving still needs to figure out what he's going to do with John Tavares and Mitch Marner, as both will be unrestricted free agents in the summer.
I don't see Tavares costing more than $5 million on a short-term deal. However, Marner is going to want more than the $11.5 million that William Nylander is making, and I don't think he should.
(Salary cap information from puckpedia.com)
Having Auston Matthews at $13.25 million and Nylander at $11.5 million is $24.75 million. I'm okay with the Leafs keeping Marner, but I think the $11.5 million Nylander makes should be as high as the Leafs go with Marner's new deal.
With Tavares taking an expected pay decrease, Knies can take a chunk of what the Leafs were paying Tavares. Don't be surprised if a new deal for Knies is more than $5 million, especially if it's a long-term deal.
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Leafs GM Brad Treliving needs to do what it takes to keep Knies in Toronto. Knies is the power forward of the future. He could be the next Bill Guerin or Jason Arnott.