The Vancouver Canucks were the worst team in the NHL last season (58 points), but a young star could help them get closer to the competition.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a number of major moves under the new regime led by general manager John Chayka, as he himself as looked to reshape the franchise. The Maple Leafs are coming off of a vastly disappointing season, a year that saw them finish with just 78 points, the worst record in the Atlantic Division and the second-worst point total in the Eastern Conference.
The disappointing season resulted in the Maple Leafs missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. That underwhelming campaign led to Toronto making moves for Stanley Cup champion goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and former Tampa Bay Lightning star defenseman Darren Raddysh. Toronto also made a number of moves, leading to the departures of Joseph Woll, Nick Robertson, Simon Benoit and Dennis Hildeby.
Matthew Knies, who is coming off of a career-high 66-point season for the Maple Leafs, has been mentioned in trade rumors. Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal recently urged the team to make a move for young players without trade protection, with one of those names being the 23-year-old Knies.
“Get those guys under 25 that have no moves. They don’t have no moves, so they can’t block a trade for Vancouver. Go get Kent Johnson, Shane Wright, Matthew Knies. They’re all under 25 and they have no trade protection. Those are the guys that they got to go get,” said Dhaliwal.
Matthew Knies Considered Maple Leafs’ Top Young Piece in Potential Trade
Knies signed a six-year, $46.5 million contract extension prior to the start of the 2025-26 season and in turn, he produced the best season of his young NHL career. The young forward produced 23 goals and 43 assists, ranking fourth in goals and second in assists on the team.
Considering he has yet to reach his full potential and when also factoring in that he’s on a favorable deal as a 23-year-old player, it’s no shock that Knies is arguably the Leafs’ most prized possession on its roster.
The Canucks could desperately use some firepower, ranking 30th in goals scored and dead last in goals allowed. Their points leader was Elias Pettersson, who had just 51 points in 74 games. Meanwhile, their goals leader was Jake DeBrusk (23 goals) and their assists leader was Filip Hronek (41 assists), meaning Knies outproduced or matched the Canucks’ leading point scorers from last season.
John Chayka on Possible Trade Involving Matthew Knies
When asked if the Leafs could move Knies, Chayka didn’t shut down the notion back in June. However, he did hint that it would take a massive haul for that to happen.
“As my job as general manager, we’re gonna evaluate everything,” Chayka said. “The idea that we’re gonna improve the roster by moving, you know, a top young player, yeah, anything’s possible. “I guess it’s not probable. But as we think about our team and, you know, how we improve, that’s a tough bar to hurdle.”
We’ll see if the Leafs make more moves leading into the 2026-27 season, but one of the top topics is none other than where Knies will play this upcoming season.
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