The Werenski to Toronto trade came down to one question about Matthew Knies

Though there were talks that Zach Werenski could come to the Maple Leafs without the loss of Matthew Knies, there's no way that ever would have happened.

All the talk about Zach Werenski coming over to the Toronto Maple Leafs was shut down by the defender himself after he committed to winning in Columbus and admitted some private conversations led to chatter about his departure becoming a bit overblown in the media.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were a team who were heavily linked to the Norris Trophy winner and with the need to improve their blueline and add that last final premier piece to become competitive again, to some it seemed like a no-brainer regardless of the cost though we argued otherwise.

That cost was likely going to include Matthew Knies though and while Toronto losing him would have been a huge loss, the addition of Werenski would have absolutely put the team in a great position for the upcoming season.

Toronto asked to do the Werenski trade without Knies and was flat-out told no

Though the team certainly tried to make sure they didn't have to lose him, as a reported offer for Werenski was centred around both Easton Cowan and Ben Danford going to the Blue Jackets and according to some new information - that was never going to be enough.

David Pagnotta reports that the Blue Jackets were never going to take a deal without Knies and that any other deal was not going to cut the mustard:

I did hear that, okay can we try to make this happen without Matthew Knies, and the answer was no.

That's a pretty straightforward answer from Pagnotta and it seems like the Blue Jackets certainly wanted not only one of Toronto's best young stars, but someone who can slot into the lineup now and be effective.

Knies would have instantly been one of the top offensive weapons for the Blue Jackets and given his long-term contract and fairly reasonable cap hit; he's a steal. It's not often you find a 23-year-old with the ability to score 20+ goals, 60+ points, and throw 150+ hits while playing above average defence and speed.

But he's also crucial to Toronto's offence and him going to Columbus would have handicapped Toronto's top-six; one that already needs a bit of work.

The reports all week that pointed to Knies being mandatory turned out to be true

We had a lot of conflicting reports and discussion around whether or not Knies was going to be in the package. Pierre LeBrun reported that any package for Werenski would involve Knies, meanwhile Darren Dreger reported that Cowan and Danford were the ones being offered.

Well it turns out that LeBrun was the winner of the debate so to speak, as his report of Knies being included was true, even if it was obvious. Knies was always going to be the player going back, and his name has been involved in even wilder trade talks.

Reportedly, Montreal had offered a package that included two firsts and Alexander Zharovsky, but Toronto said no. That deal was also debunked, and it seems like Knies being thrown about in rumours is more trying to stir up discussion than anything serious.

Which is exactly where reports lined up that said GMs were unsure if John Chayka was really wanting to trade Knies or rather he just wanted to see if anyone would bite harder than expected.

Werenski would have added a new dynamic the Maple Leafs haven't had since perhaps Borje Salming, though he's decided to stick around Columbus for now. Which means Matthew Knies gets to be centre stage for Toronto in 2026-27, though don't expect his name to leave the rumour mill anytime soon.

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