The asking price for Matthew Knies is exorbitantly high. Are the Toronto Maple Leafs just fishing?
Frankly Hockey – Victory+: Frank Seravalli on teams calling the Toronto Maple Leafs on Matthew Knies, are listing to offers, and the price is exorbitantly high. Teams are wondering if Toronto is serious. Teams are also wondering if Knies’ production is a case of playing with top players in Toronto. Regardless, the price is high.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
John Buccigross: “Um, but what about (Matthew) Knies? What’s the appetite around the league, you think?
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Seravalli: “Well, the appetite around the league is incredibly strong. It’s hard to find a player with this profile, this size, this productivity, this age. That also is signed to a secure deal for five years at $7.75 (million).
I mean, to me, at 66 points, 7.75 is already a value deal. It’s going to look so much better in the next two to three years as the cap continues to increase and increase.
So, here’s my understanding of the situation: teams are calling the Toronto Maple Leafs. They know that Matt Knies name was out there previously under the old regime leading up into the trade deadline. That didn’t materialize; it didn’t happen.
But now teams are calling, the Leafs are not hanging up the phone under John Chayka, they’re entertaining offers. They’re willing to talk about Matt Knies.
There’s Considerable Interest in Matthew Knies, and Who Else Are the Leafs Listening On?
But I’m told from some of the teams that have been in contact with the Toronto Maple Leafs, that the price is exorbitant. They feel like the price is incredibly high. So, what they’ve come back to ask themselves are a couple things: one, if the price is so high, are the leagues actually willing to entertain deals for Matt Knies? Or is this just a fishing expedition to see if they can catch a team that’s so desperate to find a difference maker, that they’re willing to cash in, and, and really, their hope is to not trade the player.
And two, given that really high asking price, you just hit on the head, and we don’t prep the show, so you have no idea what I’m about to say. You just hit on the head what one GM said to me yesterday, which is, ‘Love, Matt Knies. Love the profile. Would be willing to pay a lot for him, but I, me, and my team have been wondering, how much is this productivity a product of some of the players that he’s played with?’
Meaning if you’re to take him and put him on another team and you’re asking him to be the driver, the engine of that, will you get the same level of production? I don’t know the answer to that, and I’m not poking holes in the case for Matt Knies.
I’m just telling you that as teams really try and consider, like, they’re like, ‘Hey, be realistic here with what we’re talking about as a player. Yes, he’s special, but no, he’s not a top 5% player in the league. We probably need to manage this situation a little bit differently in terms of how we would approach it from an ask standpoint.’
What the Toronto Maple Leafs Would Want in Return for Matthew Knies Is …
So that’s what’s happening. The Leafs are not hanging up the phone, and teams are calling to ask, what’s it going to take? And the answer is it’s a lot.”
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