The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to take care of their own as they signed forward Matthew Knies to a six-year extension Sunday, a deal that carries a $7.75 million average annual value. Sources confirmed the details to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, and Knies later posted news of the extension on social media.
The Phoenix native was a pending restricted free agent. The long-term deal secures one of the franchise's top-line skaters from last season and an integral member of its forward group for the future. It also allows Toronto to sidestep any concern of an offer sheet being presented for Knies if he were to become a restricted free agent Tuesday.
The signing comes on the heels of Toronto locking down its top-six center John Tavares over the weekend on a four-year contract that includes a $4.38 million average annual value, showing general manager Brad Treliving's desire to retain as many of the team's pending free agents as possible.
Knies, 22, is coming off a breakout campaign. Skating primarily on the team's top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Knies collected 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games while averaging 18:31 time on ice and contributing on the club's top power-play unit and as a critical penalty-kill presence. Knies added another five goals (second most among Leafs) and seven points in 13 playoff contests. He became the only Leafs player to ever amass 29 goals and 180 hits in a season.
Given Knies' age, the six-year pact should give Toronto some of his best years. And keeping him in the fold will help minimize the expected fallout from Marner's almost certain departure either via free agency or a sign-and-trade scenario.