According to reports, Matthew Knies was targeted by the Buffalo Sabres this past season and their package was akin to what they'd offer for Robert Thomas.
Matthew Knies is a prime target who was sought out heavily this past deadline including by both Chicago and Montreal. Well, the Buffalo Sabres can now be added to that list as they reportedly had a package in place for the young forward that looked very reminiscent of their offer for St. Louis' Robert Thomas and shows that Knies' value is even higher than we thought.
Knies' name was bandied about this season at the deadline as the Maple Leafs were looking to make moves after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
Rumours about a Montreal trade were debunked and a Blackhawks deal had the potential to be a blockbuster but Toronto said no thank you.
Buffalo were offering some of the same players they used in the Robert Thomas chase
Obviously nothing happened, but that doesn't mean that there weren't other discussions. Everyone would like to get their hands on a player of his skillset but that's going to cost a lot, and it sounds like the Sabres were at the front of the line.
Chad DiDomenicis revealed that the Sabres were heavily interested in Knies at the deadline and were putting a package together that would have looked similar to the one they would offer to St. Louis for Robert Thomas, involving picks, players and prospects:
-
There were no specifics however going off of a prior March 3 article from TSN, that package involved a combination of picks, prospects and NHL-ready players that could reach upwards of four players for one according to Chris Johnston:
What I can tell you with the Sabres is the belief is they have gotten into that range where we're talking about a package of picks, players and prospects that gets to about four players.
That echoes the report that a certain team was willing to offer upwards of six pieces for the chance to acquire Knies, showing just how much value he truly holds.
A 23-year old with 66 points and 152 hits is the last player the Maple Leafs should be trading
Nothing against Thomas, he's a fantastic NHL player but there's a reason that Knies is referred to as a unicorn.
Thomas has played double the amount of games as Knies (530 vs. 240) but also has eight full seasons in the NHL compared to Knies' three.
Going off their career 82-game averages, Knies isn't exactly a huge leap behind Thomas though the Blues forward has the playmaking edge so far:
Thomas: 20 goals, 51 assists, 15 hits per 82 games
Knies: 23 goals, 32 assists, 173 hits per 82 games
That type of production is ridiculous for a 23-year old and someone who hasn't reached his prime. There are only a handful of NHL players in the entire league who scored 25+ goals and had 150+ hits during the 2024-25 season:
-
His combination of speed, scoring, dexterity and sheer power is really unique and we have to also remember he stands at 6-foot-3 and over 230 pounds. He's a freight train on skates with hands like silk but hits like a Mack truck - it's something a mad scientist would concoct.
It doesn't matter what pieces were involved unless you were talking Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini or Cale Makar and there's no way that Thomas can bring everything Knies does.
For all Brad Treliving's failures, he at least had the foresight to hang onto his prized power forward, and let's hope John Chayka continues that trend.
Do you think that Matthew Knies should be considered untouchable in trade talks for the Maple Leafs?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Max Domi's recovery has gone sideways and his entire season is now at risk