Montreal's pursuit of Matthew Knies reveals Kent Hughes' plan for Ivan Demidov

Montreal's pursuit of Matthew Knies offered a clue about the type of forward Kent Hughes values around Ivan Demidov: size, finishing ability and enough puck-retrieval strength to complement a creative winger.

At the 2025-26 trade deadline, Sportsnet reported that a deadline deal for Knies was submitted roughly one minute too late, with Toronto set to receive Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect and two first-round picks but that delay led to Knies staying put in Toronto.

Hughes then shifted gears to the Columbus Blue Jackets and tried to acquire Kirill Marchenko but fell flat on that as well. Montreal's biggest remaining need is still a top-six forward, preferably a centre, but the Knies pursuit adds another layer to that search.

Beside Demidov, a player who can finish chances, retrieve pucks and handle physical matchups would allow Montreal's young playmaker to spend more time creating rather than fighting for possession.

Montreal's continued search for a top-six forward

Spector's Hockey delved a little deeper into a Sportsnet article written by Emily Sadler which mentioned that the Canadiens wanted to make a big move still, with Spector's explaining a bit more of the reasoning why:

SPECTOR'S NOTE: It wasn't for lack of trying on Hughes' part. The Canadiens were linked to Toronto Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies at the March trade deadline and to Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko during this summer.

The Canadiens are pursuing a top-six forward, preferably a second-line center to skate alongside Demidov.

While the Canadiens and Hughes prefer a second-line centre, the report doesn't explicitly state that's the only piece they want beside Demidov, and adding a 23-year-old Knies would certainly give them not only that top-six piece but a controllable and fairly respectably priced player at only $7.75M for the next five years.

Why Matthew Knies remains untouchable

Though it may take way more than Hughes can afford for John Chayka to even start to think about entertaining a trade. If he was hesitant to package Knies in a deal for Zach Werenski, then it's hard to see what Montreal could offer that's better than that.

As stated previously, he's signed to a very respectable contract for several seasons, he's years away from his prime, and was on pace for a 97-point season before a knee injury led to him playing a bit more cautiously - and a decline in production.

He's also one of the most unique pieces to have in any lineup, and getting rid of a player who can score 20+ goals, 50+ points, and give you 150+ hits is a very rare feat. In fact, Knies was one of only three players in 2024-25 who had 25+ goals and 150+ hits joining Brady Tkachuk and Tom Wilson.

Plus, with questions about Auston Matthews' future with the team, Knies provides them with a foundational building block who can be a leader as the next generation of players comes in. That potential combined with his already impressive level of production is the exact reason why Chayka doesn't want to move him.

How Toronto's refusal reshapes the Atlantic Division race

With the Maple Leafs keeping Knies in the fold, it robs the Canadiens of getting even better and cementing themselves as a powerhouse in the Atlantic. It also makes them shift gears towards players they may have to pay more for such as Dylan Larkin - another Atlantic target who fits their 2C needs.

The teams in the Atlantic got a bit weaker overall with the Senators losing Brady Tkachuk, Detroit's dysfunctional structure, Buffalo trading away Bowen Byram, and Tampa Bay losing both Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul.

But the Panthers acquired Tkachuk and kept all their pieces (minus one important one) with the hopes of being that dominant force again. The Bruins are a sneaky pick who improved steadily last season and had 100 points, meanwhile the Canadiens are still arguably the most well-rounded team in the entire division.

Montreal may ultimately solve the need with a centre rather than a winger, but the Knies pursuit gives a useful clue about the player Hughes is willing to pay for: a young top-six forward who can make life easier for Demidov.

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