Change is the name of the game in Toronto as the Maple Leafs try to pick up the pieces from the wreckage of the 2025/26 NHL season. After finishing bottom of the Atlantic, it appears Leafs management is leaving no stone unturned to figure out how to retool around Auston Matthews and get this roster back in shape.
Per multiple reports, Toronto is open to trade discussions on every player not named Auston Matthews, which means one winger who signed a $46.5 million deal last summer could also be moved.
When the Leafs gave Matthew Knies a six-year, $46.5 million deal last July, the idea was to lock down a promising young winger who had just scored 29 goals, 29 assists, 15 power-play points, and six game-winning goals in 18:31 mins of ice time per game across 78 regular-season games.
Knies also chipped in with seven points (five goals, two assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games leading up to that contract, so the deal was, by all means, a smart investment.
One year on, it's still a smart investment, but that's a double-edged sword for the Maple Leafs. Considering he's the one player with substantial appeal on the trade market and has several years remaining on his contract, Knies is suddenly Toronto's most valuable trade chip this summer.
The Athletic's NHL insider Chris Johnston shared a nugget of info about how Toronto's approaching this trade market with Knies during an appearance on The Athletic Hockey Show .
"They don't really have a lot in the cupboard. As they look to get competitive, they have to at least consider Knies," Johnston said.
"I don't think it's likely that he'll be dealt. Brad Treliving was running the show at the trade deadline, but the Leafs quite aggressively talked with a couple of teams about Knies. They didn't get a return that made sense. It only stands to reason that some of those teams are going to reach back out and see if there's something to be done there.
"They're trying to turn one good player into two good players. I'm not sure if they can do it. I'm not sure if it's smart. But they're at least considering it."
Knies battled through a knee injury this year but still managed to post 66 points (23 goals and 43 assists) in a season where the offense limped across the finish line. When his six-year deal is up, Knies will be 28 years old and in his prime as a winger, which explains why teams are already lining up to enquire about the young American.
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As a versatile, top-six winger, Knies won't come cheap. The Montreal Canadiens were reportedly interested in him at the trade deadline, whereas the New York Post reported last night that the New York Rangers also brought up Knies in trade discussions when Toronto enquired after Vincent Trocheck .
The Maple Leafs desperately need help on the blue line, so it makes sense to gauge the trade market for Knies. However, wingers like him are a rare commodity in this league.
Unless the return is a bona fide star guaranteed to alleviate the burden on Auston Matthews and William Nylander or be the spine of an all-new blue line (did someone say Zach Werenski???), Toronto will likely hold firm this summer.
