Before the deadline, there were rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs were potentially exploring the idea of trading their star forward, Matthew Knies. Five teams reportedly showed interest in Knies, but ultimately, nothing concrete came about, and the forward stayed with the team.
Interestingly, an NHL insider, Marco D’Amico, recently revealed that the Montreal Canadiens were among the top teams attempting to acquire Knies. According to his report, the two teams did have a conversation prior to the deadline, but it ended up going nowhere. The report read,
“Just an FYI, source close to the Leafs denying those Knies/Habs rumors. Habs and Leafs talked before deadline, but strong denial it got to the end.”
The Maple Leafs drafted Matthew Knies in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 57th pick overall. Knies played at the University of Minnesota before making the jump to the NHL.
The forward made his debut in 2023, and is currently on a six-year contract with the Leafs, which is worth around $46.5 million. The contract, which will extend through the 2030–31 season, comes at an AAV of $7.75 million.
Despite the Maple Leafs’ underwhelming 2025–26 season, Knies has had a standout campaign setting career highs with 20 goals and 59 points in 69 games. It’s interesting to note that the forward has accomplished all of this while controlling a persistent ailment, indicating that he still has room for improvement.
The Maple Leafs can look forward to a massive summer this year
The Toronto Maple Leafs topped their division in 2024/25 regular season and only lost out to eventual champions, Florida Panthers, in the playoffs. Since then, the team’s performance has taken a nose dive, and as of right now, they are in seventh position in the Atlantic Division.
With 77 points in 75 games, the team’s chances of making the playoffs are almost non-existent. They have been plagued with serious injury issues, as even team captain, Auston Matthews, is recovering from a Grade 3 MCL injury.
The squad recently also made a significant decision by deciding to fire general manager Brad Treliving. According to reports, the Maple Leafs hope to improve under new leadership and want to alter their course come next season. This implies that the team may make look to make changes to their roster, and a trade for Matthew Knies could be among these moves.
The future of Auston Matthews too is up in the air. Despite being signed onto a contract running through the 2027-28 NHL season, there have been rumors that the American international could be open to a move if the right team comes through.
All in all, one can expect big changes to come in Toronto under new leadership potentially both on and off the ice.
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