Maple Leafs Analyst Shocks With Projected Contract Extension for Matthew Knies

The regular season has been another successful one for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while the usual names like Marner, Matthews and Nylander have excelled, some other names have stepped up and played well.

The biggest riser of all on this team thus far has been Matthew Knies, with the young forward already posting career highs in goals (25) and points (45) in 66 games played, with plenty of time to add to what has been a breakout year for the 22-year old.

Now, the former second-round draft pick is set to be a restricted free agent in the summer, and given his play, the belief around the league is that at least one team will look to put in an offer sheet on the talented young forward.

Maple Leafs reporter Jason Bukala has now made a major prediction on what a contract may look like for Knies if the team are to get a deal done and avoid an offer sheet, and he believes it could get to a shocking number.

Sure, Knies has immense talent and has produced well in his first two seasons alongside two of the best players in the NHL, but even for Maple Leafs fans, that number seems a bit excessive.

More realistically, an extension for Knies is likely to come in around the $7-7.5 million range, and with Mitch Marner ready to hit free agency, there's many, many variables that go into this summer for Toronto.

Only time will tell how much the Maple Leafs believe in Knies, but if they give him $9 million a season, it's going to be a massive overpay, and it's a deal that could hurt the team moving forward, especially if they're looking to lock down No. 16 to a big deal as well.