The Toronto Maple Leafs headed into the 2025 off-season knowing they had to do smart business when it came to signing their pending free agents. And while one of those free agents – star right winger Mitch Marner – seems almost guaranteed to be leaving the team as a UFA, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving hit home runs this weekend with the signings of star center John Tavares and up-and-coming power forward Matthew Knies.

On Friday, Tavares signed a four-year contract extension at an average annual value of $4.38 million. And late Sunday afternoon, reports surfaced that Knies had agreed to a six-year contract that will carry an annual cap hit of $7.75 million. Getting both Tavares and Knies signed at a combined cap hit that is slightly more than the $11 million Tavares was making this past season has to be seen as nothing short of a huge victory for Treliving. 

For one thing, the Leafs now have the 34-year-old Tavares locked up for what could be his final NHL contract – and one that has an off-ramp in the final two years of the deal that allows Tavares to be traded to one of five teams of his choosing if things don’t pan out positively. There was no early word of whether Knies has any no-trade or no-move protection in his new deal, but regardless, the Leafs have to be thrilled that they’re finalizing a deal with the 22-year-old left winger, who will play on Toronto’s first line alongside superstar Auston Matthews for the foreseeable future. 

Indeed, after Knies’ first NHL season in which he posted a respectable 15 goals and 35 points, Knies had a breakout year in 2024-25, putting up 29 goals and 58 points. Knies’ rugged physical game is exactly what the Leafs need more of, and his five-goal, seven-point performance in 13 playoff games this year speaks to Knies’ ability to translate his regular-season success into post-season success.

At a time when the salary cap ceiling is going up exponentially in the next few years, Tavares’ and Knies’ new contracts are going to be excellent for Treliving and Co. Tavares still has multiple years left of solid play, and he accepted well below market value to stay with his hometown team. 

Meanwhile, the Leafs haven’t had a power forward of Knies’ caliber since the days of Gary Roberts – and even then, Toronto didn’t get Roberts until well into his NHL heyday. With Knies, the best is yet to come, and after Sunday’s agreement, Knies is still going to get another considerable financial kick at the can once his new deal ends when he’s still only 28 years old.

Any way you look at it, the Knies and Tavares extensions are terrific work by Maple Leafs brass. It’s going to hurt in the next couple of days when Marner officially departs, but it’s a great consolation to know that Toronto will have two key components under contract for at least the next four years. 

Treliving deserves a lot of credit for getting these two deals done, but Leafs Nation also has to be stoked that Tavares and Knies both took less money than they could’ve received elsewhere to be wearing Blue and White for a long time to come. All in all, the Knies and Tavares extensions are massive wins for Treliving, and the financial picture in Toronto is far clearer today than it was only days ago.

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