The asking price for Matthew Knies is very high. Are the Toronto Maple Leafs just fishing?
Frankly Hockey – Victory+: Frank Seravalli on the teams calling the Toronto Maple Leafs for Matthew Knies, listing the offers, and the price is very high. Teams wonder if Toronto is serious. Teams also wonder if Knies' production is a matter of playing with top players in Toronto. No matter if the price is high.
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John Buccigross: “Um, but what about (Matthew) Knies?
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Seravalli: “Yes, the appetite in this league is incredibly strong. It's hard to find a player with this profile, this size, this product, this age. And that's signed to a five-year, $7.75 (million) protected contract.”
I mean, for me, at 66 points, 7.75 is already a deal value. It will look even better in the next two to three years as the title keeps growing and growing.
So, here is my understanding of the situation: the teams driving the Toronto Maple Leafs. They know Matt Knies' name was there before under the old regime leading up to the trade deadline. That didn't happen; it didn't happen.
But now the teams are calling, the Leafs are not hanging up under John Chayka, they are entertaining offers. They are willing to talk about Matt Knies.
There's Big Interest in Matthew Knies, and Who Are Other Leafs Listening to?
But I am told by other teams that have contacted the Toronto Maple Leafs, that the price is getting expensive. They feel like the price is incredibly high. So, they came back to wonder a few things: one, if the price is so high, are the leagues really willing to entertain Matt Knies deals? Or is this just a fishing trip to see if they can nab a team that is desperate for a difference maker, desperate for cash, and, in fact, hoping not to trade the player.
And two, given the high asking price, you're hitting the nail on the head, and we're not preparing for the show, so you don't know what I'm going to say. You just hit home what another GM said to me yesterday, which is, 'Love, Matt Knies. Like the profile. I would be willing to pay him more, but I, myself and my team have been wondering how much of this production is a product of some of the players he played with?'
Meaning if you were to take him to another team and ask him to be the driver, the engine of that, would he get the same level of production? I don't know the answer to that, and I don't wear holes in the Matt Knies case.
I'm just telling you that as teams really try and think, like, 'Hey, make sure here what we're talking about as a player. Yes, he is special, but no, he is not a top 5% player in the league. We probably need to manage this situation in a different way from the way we would look at it by asking.'
What the Toronto Maple Leafs Want in Return for Matthew Knies Is…
So that's what happens. The Leafs don't hang up the phone, and teams call and ask what it will take? And the answer is a lot.”
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