When Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes said after the trade deadline that he had something big in the works that ultimately didn't cross the finish line, many began speculating about that possibly being a Matthew Knies trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Now insider David Pagnotta has revealed on The DFO Rundown podcast that not only was that what Hughes was refering to, but also that the trade was actually agreed on . They just didn't get it submitted in time to the NHL before the deadline passed.
They had an agreement in place between the Leafs and the Habs that would have sent Knies to Montreal. (Alexander) Zharovsky was going the other way, along with another prospect and two first-round draft picks. That was the package that was agreed-upon, but there were some complications ahead of the (3 pm) deadline, and it didn't get through.
Hughes reiterated after the Canadiens' season came to an end after the Conference Finals that he would "revisit" the big move that he alluded to. However, there's another big complication now that could get in the way. It was Brad Treliving with whom Hughes came to that agreement. The former Maple Leafs GM is now long gone.
Would new Leafs GM John Chayka and his right-hand man, Mats Sundin, still be interested in pursuing this? That's yet to be seen, but we imagine that Hughes will be following up on it.
For the record, Zharovsky was the Habs' second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, selected 34th overall. The Russian right winger spent the 2025-26 season in the KHL. He recorded 16 goals and 42 points in 56 games, shattering the KHL's all-time points record for a teenager. The 19-year-old was named the Russian league's Rookie of the Year.
"If he's the player that people believe he's going to become," added Pagnotta, "and you get two additional assets… This is kind of what St. Louis was looking for for Robert Thomas."
Knies recorded a career high 66 points for the Leafs in his third NHL season, with 23 goals.
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