NHL Rumors: New York Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs

New York Rangers prospect could sign and burn a year

Peter Baugh: If the New York Rangers sign Gabe Perreault to his entry-level contract and get the sense that he’ll play in the NHL and burn a year of his contract.

What could Matthew Knies be looking to get on his next contract?

James Mirtle of The Athletic: There are a couple of questions surrounding Toronto Maple Leafs pending RFA Matthew Knies: How much is he going to cost, and will there be an offer sheet?

Knies will only be 23 years old next October, and he’s trending towards scoring 30 goals this season. He’s a power forward and one of four players with 25 goals and 150 hits so far this season.

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A list of players who scored 25 goals but did not having more than 0.8 points per game when only 21 or 22 years old – Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Filip Forsberg, Alexis Lafreniere, Dawson Mercer, Jake DeBrusk, JJ Peterka, Sam Reinhart, Boone Jenner and Jake Neighbors.

Not all are perfect comparables. Knies did only have 35 points and 15 goals last season.

The average of the above comps were 4.8 years at a $5.4 million cap hit. If taking the 6.5 cap percentage, that would equate to $6.2 million next year. The players who signed bridge deals averaged 2.2 years and an adjusted $4.1 million cap hit.

Tom Wilson may be a comparable, but he didn’t score 25 goals until the season and he’s about to turn 31.

Quinton Byfield hasn’t scored 25 goals yet and may be more of a center signed a five-year, $6.25 million cap het. Brock Boeser and Timo Meier signed three or four bridge deals at around 7.25 percent of the cap, which would be a $6.9 million cap hit.

Brady Tkachuk is higher up on the scale and he signed a seven-year deal at $8.22 million.

A bridge deal may cost in the $5-$6 million range depending on the years. If a long-term deal, Matt Boldy‘s seven-year, $7 million per may be the best comp.

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Working against Knies would be his 20 percent shooting percent likely isn’t sustainable and he benefits playing with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

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