In a clear last-ditch effort, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Mitch Marner away to the Vegas Golden Knights. The waves were felt throughout the NHL, as well as inside the organization. Now, one of Auston Matthews‘ star teammates delivered a stern reminder to the organization about Marner’s departure.
It wasn’t a move the Maple Leafs wanted to make, but rather one they had no choice but to accept. It was either trade Marner for breadcrumbs or watch him walk as a free agent. Toronto had its back against the wall—and for what it was worth, managed to pull a rabbit out of its hat.
Still, Matthews and the rest of the team were disheartened to see such a key teammate like Marner leave the franchise. On that note, Matthew Knies, who recently signed a six-year, $46.5M contract extension as he was set to become a restricted free agent (RFA), dropped a heartfelt admission.
Asked about his reaction to the blockbuster trade involving Marner and the Golden Knights, Knies kept it short and simple—yet strong enough. “I wasn’t excited to see that at all,” Knies said in dialogue with TSN.
Matthew Knies #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Knies’ new deal
Following a breakout year in the 2024-25 NHL season, Knies put pen to paper and will stay with Matthews in Toronto for the next six campaigns. Knies’ extension will carry an annual cap hit of $7.75M.
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Over the next three seasons, Knies will earn a salary of $9 million, which will decrease to $7 million in the fourth season and then drop to $6.25 million in the final two years of the contract.
Marner’s farewell
“When I was drafted, all I wanted was to help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto. That was always the goal, and I came up short,” Marner admitted through a post on his social media. “I gave everything I had, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.”
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“To the fans: thank you. Playing in Toronto is special and it’s because of you. You care deeply and I never took that for granted. As I prepare for what comes next, I leave a different person than I was at 18. I’ll always be grateful for my time here, and most of all, I’m so proud to have been a Toronto Maple Leaf.”
