Matthew Knies has been a key player for the Toronto Maple Leafs but his name came up in trade talks.
Knies’ name was brought up in a potential package to the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen. However, after no deal was made, Knies, who is a pending RFA, was asked about his future and he made it clear he wants to remain with the Maple Leafs.
“A little nerve-wracking. I wanted to stay here and be a part of this group. But I tried to not focus on it. It’s out of my control so I let them handle their business and fortunately I’m still here and just excited,” Knies said.
As Knies says, his goal is to stay in Toronto and be part of this group. Knies is in the final year of his three-year $2.78 million deal and will be an RFA come July 1.
Knies has been an impactful player for the Maple Leafs as he’s playing on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The forward has skated in 60 games recording 24 goals and 19 assists for 43 points.
Knies was drafted 57th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs GM Praises Knies
After Toronto opted not to trade Knies at the deadline, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving heaped praise on the star young forward.
“Matthew’s still a young player, right? We forget. Second full season, right? Those players that come at the end of their college career and play, you always feel like they’ve been around usually a couple of years longer than they have,” Treliving said on March 7. “He’s just maturing into his body. His game’s maturing. I think Matthew’s just realizing how big and strong he is. And, you know, he’s getting more comfortable.”
“He’s sort of grown right in front of our eyes. He’s a big part of our team now. And he’s a unique player; that’s a big, strong man at 22 years old,” Treliving added. “Developing different parts of his game, you see what he’s done in the power play from that front. Developing an edge to his game; he added the element the other night into his game. You can see a power forward developing right in front of us.”
As Treliving says, Knies is an impactful power forward for the Maple Leafs and is only in his second full season in the NHL. With that, Treliving had no desire in trading Knies.
Maple Leafs Bolstered Roster at Trade Deadline
Despite not making a blockbuster deal, Toronto did make two impactful moves at the deadline.
The Maple Leafs acquired center Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers. Then, Toronto acquired defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins.
“It was business as usual. It is busy. Deadline day is always busy. Deadlines force decisions in some cases. I thought it was a busy day. You saw a lot of activity in the league,” Treliving said. “You have to do your work ahead of time. Credit to the staff. We were prepared. I executed the plan.”
The Maple Leafs are currently 39-22-3 and in second place in the Atlantic Division.
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