We’re five weeks away from free agency and a few weeks away from the NHL Combine, which is when trade talks are expected to kick into gear. As we approach #tradeseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be the most intriguing team to watch.
Auston Matthews appears willing to stick with the Leafs (for now), but new general manager John Chayka has his work cut out for him when it comes to dealing some longer-term contracts and keeping prying hands away from Toronto’s best assets.
Maple Leafs’ $46.5M Winger Drawing Substantial Trade Interest
At the trade deadline this year, Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies was a man very much in demand. Multiple reports indicated that the Montreal Canadiens had their eyes on Toronto’s most tradable asset as they looked to add some firepower for a playoff run.
While that deal didn’t pan out, it appears there will be no shortage of suitors for Knies this summer. Per The Athletic’s New York Rangers reporter Vincent Z. Mercogliano, the Eastern Conference heavyweights are poised to join the queue for Knies, were the Leafs to make him available this summer.
“The Rangers are among a group of teams wondering if he’s available,” Mercogliano reported.
The 23-year-old Knies signed a six-year, $46.5 million contract last year that carries a $7.75 million AAV through 2031. When that contract is up, Knies will be 28 years old and bang in the middle of his prime, making him Toronto’s most prized asset when it comes to a trade.
In a year where not much went right for the Maple Leafs, Knies racked up 66 points (23 goals and 43 assists), making a trade all the more appealing, considering he will only get better.
However, it remains to be seen how willing Toronto is to part ways with Knies, a player who, by all accounts, is valued highly within the organization. On the one hand, if Chayka wants to get the franchise back into contention territory ASAP, Knies is their most attractive trade bait, with several years on his contract and clear upside.
On the other hand, wingers like Knies are hard to find and harder to replace if the goal is to build a competitive roster around Auston Matthews, William Nylander and, possibly, Gavin McKenna. While Toronto appears willing to move out names like Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo, and Anthony Stolarz, trading Knies would require a lot of faith in Chayka, whose appointment to the role has already raised more than a few eyebrows.
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2026’s free agency class is also nothing to boast about, which means it would require a lot of wheeling and dealing on Chayka’s part, were he to trade Knies for a significant haul.
