In the midst of a nightmare 2025-26 campaign, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from three forwards ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, shipping Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken, Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche and Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings.
Although key young forward Matthew Knies remained part of the equation, his future — along with that of the franchise — is uncertain. Signed through 2031 at a reasonable $7.75 million cap hit, he could be an important piece of the roster for the long haul, or he could be a casualty this summer.
As Elliotte Friedman reported on Thursday, there were at least five clubs interested in the 23-year-old before the deadline.
“Teams that showed serious interest in Matthew Knies included Anaheim, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and Utah,” the hockey insider wrote in his latest 32 Thoughts column. “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.”
All five of those franchises fashion themselves as Stanley Cup contenders in the near future, although the Ducks, Canadiens and Mammoth are further along than the Blackhawks and Devils as of now.
Knies has been excellent on a lowly Leafs squad this season, sitting second in team scoring with 18 goals and 57 points in 66 games. He's gotten better every campaign since debuting in the NHL in 2022-23, and projects as a star forward for years to come.
The question now becomes whether Toronto is bracing for a full-scale rebuild, or trying to retool on the fly and return to the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's been nearly a decade since the Eastern Conference playoff picture didn't include the Leafs.
When that question is answered, the question of Knies' future in Southwestern Ontario will probably also be answered. The Phoenix, Arizona native is the only young star the team has; Auston Matthews is 28, William Nylander is 29, John Tavares is 35 and Morgan Rielly is 32.
For that reason, it would make sense for the franchise to keep him around regardless of what happens over the next couple of years. He'll be a key name to watch this summer, an offseason that is shaping up to be a critical one in the Six.
