The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly grinding away with John Tavares and Matthew Knies' camps to get contracts signed before July 1.
Tavares, 34, is an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and has consistently expressed his desire to remain in Toronto beyond this season. However, there have been reports that the veteran forward could fetch a much higher annual average value on the open market.
Knies turns 23 this October and will become a restricted free agent on July 1. Although the Maple Leafs hold his negotiation rights, any team can send him an offer sheet once he becomes an RFA.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Tavares, Knies, and the Maple Leafs aren't interested in letting these contract negotiations go beyond July 1.
"Well, to quote a source close to the situation, [the two sides are] grinding away, and it's been that way for the last number of days. But you can see that the end is coming, especially with Tavares, who's an unrestricted free agent as of July 1st," Dreger reported.
"He's made it abundantly clear that he'd like to stay and finish his career in Toronto, so there is a mutual appetite to get something done. I feel like progress was made on this day (Wednesday).
"I'd say the same thing with Matthew Knies. A little bit different because he's a restricted free agent, but I know that Brad Treliving, the general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs, looks at both of those guys as priorities, and I think that he'd prefer to get something done, again sooner rather than later, so that he's got a clear deck going into July 1, and open to shop."
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Tavares fought off Father Time this season, scoring 74 points in 75 games. Tavares' 38 goals tied his second-best goalscoring season, and were nine shy of his 47-goal campaign in his first year as a Maple Leaf in 2018-19.
With his seven-year, $77 million contract concluding, the Maple Leafs reportedly hoped to extend him long-term so that his cap hit could remain low, thus allowing Toronto to add more via free agency.
On Saturday, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that Tavares' camp and the Maple Leafs weren't close on an extension. However, this news from Dreger on Wednesday should offer Maple Leaf fans some relief ahead of a fascinating offseason.
Mikael Granlund: A Viable Replacement If The Maple Leafs Don't Re-Sign John Tavares?John Tavares has made it clear he wants to remain a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the club and the player are reportedly struggling to find a middle ground on a fair contract. At market value, it’s been speculated that Tavares could fetch a 3-year, $7.5 million contract extension, much like his former New York Islanders teammate Brock Nelson just inked with the Colorado Avalanche. Alternatively, Matt Duchene's recent contract extension in Dallas, where the forward signed for just $4.5 million per season, offers a different perspective.
The same goes for the news on Knies.
After a massive rookie season, Knies followed it up with another career year. His 29 goals and 29 assists in 78 games were his highest total yet in the NHL. Pin that together with his 182 hits, the third-most on the Maple Leafs, and the forward had a monster season.
He himself expressed his desire to remain a Maple Leaf at the team's locker cleanout day in May. If he does reach July 1 without a contract, there's always a chance a team could send him an offer sheet. But from how he spoke after being eliminated by the Florida Panthers, I wouldn't say he's keen on signing an offer sheet.
And he'd need to agree to it for Toronto to be on the clock to match it.
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The Maple Leafs drafted Knies in the second round (57th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. After two full seasons, Knies has proved he's beginning to understand how to use his massive 6-foot-3, 227-pound frame against his opponents.
With Mitch Marner likely on the way out (according to reports), Toronto has $25.7 million in cap space available. That number will decrease if, and when, Tavares and Knies agree to extensions with the Maple Leafs, but it's turning out to be an intriguing offseason for Treliving and co.
(Top photo: Dan Hamilton / Imagn Images)