TSN’s Darren Dreger offered an update on Thursday as a part of TSN’s Insider Trading series. Saying the Toronto Maple Leafs are doing their best to keep the news of contract discussions with their players out of the public spotlight, Dreger offered updates on the status of talks with forward Matthew Knies and defenseman Jake McCabe.
Knies is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and Dreger says the expectation is that he’s going to be an impact player in the team’s future. “There really hasn’t been any meaningful dialogue between Knies’ agent and the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Dreger said. He noted that those discussions might heat up towards the end of the year “unless somebody is willing to engage.”
Dreger then moved on and said, “Veteran defenseman Jake McCabe is a little bit different.” Dreger notes that the two sides have had ongoing discussions and the two sides aren’t that far apart. He also notes that neither side is feeling a sense of urgency, other than to state to obvious in that McCabe is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
“He’s most definitely interested in getting something done sooner than later,” closed the NHL insider.
Knies and McCabe: What Kind of Deals Should the Maple Leafs Do Here?
For Knies, the debate will be if the team should lock him up or go with a bridge deal. Gord Stellick said on 590 The Fan, that Knies has a skill that not everybody has. “Not everybody is cut out to play with elite players, but Matthew Knies seems to have that… I think it’s going to be a great fit.” There is a risk that investing big money and going long-term could be a risk. The First Up crew said, “You let his play determine his next contract.”
In his first full season with the Maple Leafs, Knies appeared in 80 games, scoring 15 goals and tallying 35 points. Can he double that production playing all season with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner? The fact that both sides seem ready to wait this out for some time, the Leafs might be negotiating with the player when his numbers are at a career-high.
As for Jake McCabe, there’s a chance to get a bit of a team-friendly discount, but this could still cost the Leafs somewhere in the neighborhood of what Adam Larsson signed for in Seattle: four years at $5.25 million per season.
Next: Flames Agree to 1-Year Deal with Defenseman Tyson Barrie
