Toronto forward Matthew Knies tied to a wild trade offer shows the actual management plan
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Matthew Knies could have been part of a blockbuster trade this season and reports show that Toronto was eying potentially five or six pieces in return.
We heard a lot of trade rumours surrounding Matthew Knies as the deadline approached and while there was inklings about a potential Montreal Canadiens deal, that was shot down pretty quickly and Knies played out the rest of the season in Toronto.
He had a great season all things considered and even dealing with a knee injury managed to put up 66 points in 79 games including finishing second on the team with 43 assists.
His playmaking skyrocketed, he was still physical as ever, and looks poised to be a huge part of the lineup for the next few years.
It's a good thing that the Maple Leafs didn't trade him, though that seemingly didn't stop them from trying.
Knies was being offered at the deadline, but only if Toronto was able to receive a king's ransom
According to new information courtesy of Chris Johnston, the team was definitely looking for a suitor for Knies though it was the quantity (and quality) of the pieces in return that caused a big snag:
I think they were trying to be creative to see if they could really get some kind of game-changing return; I was told they had offers that had like 5 or 6 pieces in them, but it wasn't the right set of pieces.
Now that's a blockbuster deal if there ever is one, though it's hard to know exactly what teams would have been willing to pay for Knies.
You would hope that at least a first-rounder or two was thrown in the mix, even if it wasn't for 2026, and a young defensive prospect and a top-six force were likely also part of things. Add in a raw talent down in the minors or in the system somewhere and you suddenly have a boatload for him.
Why teams would target Matthew Knies over any other player in the lineup
It makes sense too, as he's only 23 years old, showing steady improvement and recently signed for a fairly reasonable deal at $7.75-million until 2031. With the cap increasing year after year, that value appreciates even more and if he can continue to torch the league — he's a superstar ready to explode.
Though it would be certainly interesting from a hockey perspective to blow things up and using Knies as bait. You could try to dangle William Nylander but he's very expensive and some teams may shy away from the lack of a full effort.
John Tavares is getting older and really doesn't seem like he wants to be anywhere else, and you're destroying the locker room morale by getting rid of him.
Auston Matthews could bring you a lot back however you're also investing heavily in the fact he can get back to where he was; and he's a top-five player in the world.
So unfortunately that leaves Knies as the person of interest, though he may be one of the best of the bunch. You have to remember this is only the third real season he's been in the league; he's five years from his prime too. You're looking at a real star in the making and you have him for a long time.
It seems like the management side wanted to have Knies as a way to kickstart the retool/rebuild immediately, but when it comes to the price, you could tell that there was still hesitancy; maybe for the better. Credit Brad Treliving for not caving under pressure to make a move when everyone wanted him to.
For Toronto to risk that by trading him for a haul certainly would have made the team look different, feel different, and maybe could have pushed for a playoff spot.
The issue is they're giving up their next superstar and potential future captain to end up probably losing in the second round. It would have been a blockbuster.
Emphasis on the word bust though.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol