In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at the potential impact of Auston Matthews’ contract extension. He’ll become the highest-earning player in the NHL when his new contract kicks in. So, how does that impact Mitch Marner’s next contract?
Second, the betting odds for the rookie who will likely win the Calder Trophy have come out, and Maple Leafs Matthew Knies is on the list. Where does the 20-year-old forward fall? What do the oddsmakers think his chances to win the Calder Memorial Trophy might be?
Finally, I’ll share my growing belief that William Nylander’s maturing production, as shown during the 2022-23 season, will keep him in Toronto for this coming season. And, if he can be trusted – he seems like one of the least disingenuous people I have ever seen in sports – he’ll be a Maple Leafs player for a long time.
Item One: First Matthews, Then Marner
When the Maple Leafs extended Auston Matthews’ contract for four years, it will make him the highest-earning player in the NHL starting from the 2024-25 season. His $13.25 million per year will keep groceries in the fridge for sure.
Related: Treliving Vows Silence Until Maple Leafs Sign Nylander
But, his extension also will impact at least two other players on the team, those being Marner and Nylander. Nylander comes first because his contract negotiations are currently ongoing. Then, it’s Marner’s turn. What we know from Marner’s history is that he’s likely going to be the toughest nut to crack. He put the team’s former general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas through the wringer during his last negotiations.
While I know that many Maple Leafs’ fans have blamed Dubas for being weak in these negotiations, what I do know personally is that I wouldn’t have wanted to be facing down what seemed from the outside to be a take-no-prisoners attitude of Marner and his team. But that’s another story.
However, the past will be coming to a theatre near you soon enough. And, we’ve already seen the trailer. Next offseason promises to be deja vu all over again. That fact wasn’t lost on Elliotte Friedman, who seemed to let his own cynicism about the whole process slip a bit. His recent 32 Thoughts podcast specifically focused on Marner.
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During the podcast, Friedman wondered aloud, “What is Marner’s next number? Because he was the closest one to Matthews. When Matthews signed for $11.634 AAV all of a sudden Marner became close to an $11 million player, so now Matthews’ number is 13.25. What’s Marner’s number? Is it 13.249999?”
Already Matthews’ significant salary increase has become the wind that’s blowing the flags of speculation about Marner’s next deal. Obviously, now that deal is worth at least $13 million annually. Give this a year. Then, we’ll see how it all sits within Leafs Nation.
Item Two: Betting Odds for Matthews Knies Winning the Calder Trophy
Knies, who is a 20-year-old forward for the Maple Leafs, had what almost seemed like an easy transition from college hockey to the NHL. After he signed his entry-level contract (ELC), he made his NHL debut. He even played in the playoffs without skipping a skating stride. It just didn’t seem that he looked out of place – at all.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies Set for Top-6 Role
Within a month, he’ll begin his first full season as an NHL rookie. The expectations seem high within the sphere of the Maple Leafs; however, they also seem to be growing in the wider hockey world as well. Others now seem to be expecting that Knies will become a valuable addition to the team’s forward depth.
In Knies’ three regular-season NHL games, he registered an assist. In seven games during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he scored his first NHL playoff goal and added three assists (for four points). He seemed to be blessed with a sense of being in the right place, except for when he was in exactly the wrong place. The result was that his postseason dream was wrestled down when he suffered a concussion sustained from a hit, grab, twist, and takedown by the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett in Game 2.
Up he pops this week in the oddsmaker’s insights. The betting world is showing its optimism for Knies’ potential this season. He’s been given the sixth-best odds to be the NHL’s top rookie and win the Calder Memorial Trophy. In those odds, he’s tied with Shane Wright at +1900. Wright and Knies trail fellow rookies Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Logan Cooley, Devon Levi, and Adam Fantilli.
Here’s the list of 2023-24 Calder Memorial Trophy odds:
- Connor Bedard: -143
- Luke Hughes: +550
- Logan Cooley: +900
- Devon Levi: +1200
- Adam Fantilli: +1400
- Shane Wright: +1900
- Matthew Knies: +1900
Knies turned some heads during his 2022-23 NHL debut. Now it just seems natural that he’ll continue that upward trajectory this season.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
In following through with the first item on the impact of Matthews’ signing on Marner and Nylander, it seems clear that, at least in his own mind, Nylander is going nowhere. He has one year left on his contract, and he keeps repeating that he’s committed to the Maple Leafs.
Without any drama on his part (that’s someone else’s job), Nylander seems focused on the upcoming 2023-24 season. Given what we know about his rink-rat work ethic, he looks to improve on last season. If he can, and he’s been growing in his scoring abilities, that would be good both for him and the Maple Leafs.
During the 2022-23 season, Nylander was impressive. He posted career highs of 40 goals and 47 assists. He showed up during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, putting up 10 points in 11 games. He also, according to his teammates, became a vocal leader on the team.
Trade rumors are chasing Nylander around this summer, but it’s unlikely he will be traded. Can you even imagine the fallout if GM Brad Treliving moved him so they would get “something” and he scored 50 goals?
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The team appreciates his abilities, just not those of his agent. At the end of the offseason, Nylander’s place on the team’s roster seems secure. I hope he does score 50 goals. Now that Jason Spezza is gone, Nylander’s becoming my favourite Maple Leaf.
