The Toronto Maple Leafs traded multiple players leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. It was not difficult to understand, as the Maple Leafs are very unlikely to make the playoffs this season and have struggled mightily. With this, the Maple Leafs were due for some roster changes.
The Maple Leafs traded forwards Nicolas Roy (Colorado Avalanche), Bobby McMann (Seattle Kraken), and Scott Laughton (Los Angeles Kings). There is certainly a possibility that the Maple Leafs could have more moves on the way during the summer. Players like Brandon Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Simon Benoit were all popular names in the rumor mill leading up to the deadline, but Toronto did not move them.
However, the biggest Maple Leaf who has been the subject of trade speculation is star forward Matthew Knies. Reports came out that the Maple Leafs had trade discussions regarding the big winger ahead of the deadline, which is honestly surprising with him being a young top-six forward with good upside. Yet, he would also have had the potential to get the Maple Leafs a major return in a move.
Now, a new report has come up that has revealed five teams that had interest in Knies leading up to the trade deadline.
Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies Generated Interest From 5 Specific Teams
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman released his latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet. In it, Friedman shared that the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Utah Mammoth all had big interest in Knies leading up to the trade deadline.
“Teams that showed serious interest in Matthew Knies included Anaheim, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and Utah. Everyone has denied that the Canadiens went far down the road, but … we’ll see. There were some teams who didn’t believe the Maple Leafs were serious about it, but now recognize the possibility,” Friedman wrote.
With Knies being a young forward, it makes sense that a mix of playoff and non-playoff teams expressed interest in him leading up to the deadline. He undoubtedly would have been a great fit on teams holding playoff spots, like the Ducks, Canadiens, and Mammoth. However, he also would have been a nice pickup for the Devils and Blackhawks, even if their playoff hopes are very low at this point in the season.
With Knies having a $7.75 million cap hit until the end of the 2030-31 season and being just 23 years old, he would have been a great long-term fit for any of those teams. As a result of this, it would not be surprising if these five clubs continued to pursue him during the summer.
Maple Leafs Trading Knies This Summer Would Come With Massive Risk
While Knies would have the potential to get the Maple Leafs a huge return in a potential trade, moving him would also come with a ton of risk. Knies would be a very difficult player for the Maple Leafs to replace, as he not only contributes offensively but also plays a physical game. Furthermore, with the Maple Leafs entering a retool, Knies is arguably the kind of young player that they should be keeping around.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens between the Maple Leafs and Knies this offseason. Clearly, he generated plenty of interest at the deadline.
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