The St. Louis Blues proved last summer that offer sheets are alive and well in the NHL, and this offseason, Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is a prime target for onlooking teams.
Knies, 22, had a breakout season in Toronto, scoring 29 goals and 58 points in 78 regular season games, while elevating his game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, showing off the complete package. Knies finished the postseason with five goals and seven points in 13 games, and heading into next season, the sky is the limit. As GM Brad Treliving put it, Knies’ extension is the top priority this offseason.
As a friendly reminder, here’s a breakdown of some of the regulations of the NHL’s offer-sheet process:
- Teams can only surrender their own draft picks as compensation.
- Any player declaring for arbitration is ineligible for an offer sheet. Players must declare by July 5.
- Teams have seven days to match an offer sheet signed by their player.
As far as what the compensation scale looks like, Knies would fetch huge dollars on the open market, and there’s a few teams with deep pockets and lofty expectations, who could jump in and try to sign the young power forward to a lucrative extension. It will come at a significant cost, as here’s a breakdown of what interested teams would have to give up to Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs:
| Offer Sheet Compensation | Compensation |
| $1,544,424 or less | None |
| $1,544,424 – $2,340,037 | 3rd-round pick |
| $2,340,037 – $4,680,076 | 2nd-round pick |
| $4,680,076 – $7,020,113 | 1st and 2nd-round picks |
| $7,020,113 – $9,360,153 | 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-round picks |
| $9,360,153 – $11,700,192 | Two 1st-round picks, one 2nd and 3rd-round picks |
| $11,700,192 and up | Four 1st-round picks |
Here’s four teams to keep an eye on if Knies makes it unsigned come July 1st:
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are desperate to improve next season, and keep Connor Bedard happy. GM Kyle Davidson hasn’t been shy in the free-agent market the past couple of seasons, but chasing Knies would be a whole new level.
The Blackhawks can get as creative as they want this offseason as they own their top three picks in 2026, and their 2027 first-round pick, so if Davidson wants to push Knies’ AAV upwards of $9.5 million, he has the financial flexibility, and draft requirements to do so.
Chicago has $29 million in cap space to work with, money isn’t the issue. It’s all going to come down to how badly Davidson covets Knies, and if he’s willing to part with a significant chunk of the team’s future to bring in one of the best power forwards in the game.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks could be a team to watch this summer, as GM Pat Verbeek is thinking Stanley Cup Playoffs or bust. The Ducks have the draft picks required to offer Knies a mega-deal, and they have the resources financially, as Verbeek heads into the offseason with over $38 million in cap space.
Yes, the Ducks blueline needs a huge facelift, and that can still easily be addressed via free agency, however, Lukas Dostal is their goaltender of the future, and adding Knies, at 22 years old, to a blossoming forward group with core pieces such as Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, and Troy Terry, could bring the Ducks to a playoff contender as soon as next season.
Playing the next seven seasons in sunny California could be something that appeals to Knies and his camp, but at this point it’s hard to think he’d be willing to step away from playing alongside Auston Matthews anytime soon. If one team’s able to change his mind, it could be the Ducks.
Utah Mammoth
Adding Knies to their team could do wonders for selling tickets in Utah, and give them one of the best young power forwards in the game to help build their team around. Knies would quickly become a fan favorite in Utah, and GM Bill Armstrong has the resources, and an aggressive owner in his back pocket to make some noise this summer.
The Mammoth own all the necessary compensation to offer Knies whatever they want. Armstrong enters the offseason with over $20 million in cap space to work with, and all things considered, doesn’t have a ton of holes to fill throughout his lineup this offseason. Adding Knies to their top six could push Utah out of the basement of the Western Conference and into a playoff spot.
Knies is close with several of the Mammoth players from the team’s days in Arizona, as the Maple Leafs forward spends some of his offseason training in the desert, so when it comes to appeal, there’s certainly some weight to it. But, it’s going to take a massive contract extension, and Treliving not getting a deal done before July 1st to even spark the conversations between Knies’ camp and Armstrong in Utah.
Calgary Flames
The Flames are a wild card here because GM Craig Conroy wants to get his team back on track, and with a slew of draft picks over the next few years, he could decide adding a win-now top-line player in Knies is worth the cost.
Conroy has two first-round picks in 2025 and 2026, so he wouldn’t necessarily be throwing away the farm bringing in Knies on a long-term deal. There’s still plenty in the tank for draft picks, and the Flames have a number of mid-level to high-end prospects who are getting closer to the NHL ranks.
When it comes to cap space, the Flames are set. They have $28.1 million to work with this summer, and looking ahead, will have to extend Dustin Wolf in net, and shore up their blueline, but adding Knies isn’t necessarily out of the question. Money talks, it’s just hard to say if Knies would be open to a future in Calgary, as he’s made it very clear remaining a Maple Leaf is his top priority.
For now, Knies remains a Maple Leaf and Treliving and his agent are having ongoing conversations. In a perfect world, Knies is signed to an eight-year contract extension before July 1st, and Toronto eliminates any chances of an offer sheet this offseason.
