Maple Leafs Worried By Matthew Knies' Potential Salary Demands: Report

The Toronto Maple Leafs and winger Matthew Knies could face prolonged contract negotiations, as the player's salary demands are giving the Leafs cause for caution.

NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period wrote about the ongoing talks on Oct. 23 sharing news details about where things stand between both parties.

Although there were initial talks between the Leafs and Knies before the start of the season, leading to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman to say Knies was "on the precipice" of signing a new contract , negotiations have now stalled.

According to Pagnotta, talks "have cooled" since the start of the regular season, and it's probable they won't pick up until the offseason with both sides "not close" to an extension.

Fellow insider Nick Kypreos chimed in on the situation explaining that Toronto may be hesitant due to Knies’ high expectations for his next deal's average annual salary (AAV) as he approaches restricted free agency.

Kypreos believes Knies' potential asking price, which he quoted at around $7.6 million AAV, is reasonable as it can be compared to Juraj Slafkovsky's AAV from his recent extension with the Montreal Canadiens.

Slafkovsky, a former first-overall pick, signed an eight-year, $60.8 million deal with an AAV of $7.6 million on July 1 after an impressive sophomore season in which he scored 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games, according to his NHL.com player profile .

Knies, for context, is coming off a season in 2023-24 in which he played 80 games scoring 15 goals, assisting 20, and recording 35 total points with a 9 plus/minus valuation.

For now, Knies has impressed in the early stages of the 2024–25 season, avoiding the typical “sophomore slump,” and scoring 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) in the first nine games played by the Leafs.

Related: Report: Maple Leafs' Forward 'On the Precipice' of Signing Contract