Even though the NHL trade deadline has passed, the discussion around what could have happened is still heating up. One rumor in particular has caught attention after a Maple Leafs insider suggested the Montreal Canadiens may have been linked to one of Toronto’s top wingers.
Canadiens Connected to Maple Leafs’ $46.5M Winger
The Montreal Canadiens made headlines at the trade deadline, but not for making a move. Despite sitting in a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and appearing poised for a potential playoff push, the Canadiens chose to stand pat.
Many fans and analysts expected Montreal to add a piece to strengthen the roster for the postseason. Instead, the front office decided not to disrupt a young lineup that has been building chemistry throughout the season.
General manager Kent Hughes addressed the decision with optimism.“The glass is half full. I think that’s the way to look at it, and I think that’s how our players look at it,” Hughes said.
While Montreal ultimately made no trades, Hughes did reveal that the Canadiens were actively working on at least one deal right up until the deadline. The move never materialized. But he suggested the team could revisit that opportunity during the offseason.
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That revelation sparked speculation about who the Canadiens were targeting.
According to Maple Leafs insider Nick Kypreos, there was chatter that the potential deal may have involved Toronto winger Matthew Knies. He is in the first year of his six-year $46.5 million contract.
“I’m just telling you what I’m hearing,” Kypreos said. “There is a sense in my inner circle that the deal he (Hughes) was working on was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
Kypreos added that Knies’ name had surfaced in league conversations. “I can tell you that his name was out there with multiple teams,” he said. “If you really think about it, outside of (Auston) Matthews and (William) Nylander with no moves, who was out there that could provide the Leafs with a multiply of top talent, right? It’s Knies.”
However, Kypreos was careful to note that nothing had been confirmed. “I’m not confirming anything,” he said. “That’s the word and that’s the feel going into this week that if there was something with Kent Hughes going on, a lot of people are pointing to him and the Leafs.”
Hughes himself declined to reveal which player or team the Canadiens were negotiating with, leaving the situation firmly in the realm of speculation.
For now, there’s no confirmation that Knies was actually part of those discussions. But with the offseason approaching, speculation linking the Canadiens and Maple Leafs could easily pick up again.
