With new general manager John Chayka at the helm, the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to have an interesting summer. They need to improve the roster no matter what and something is in the air, that they are going to look down every avenue to do it and try to make the playoffs next season.
Part of that speculation about their upcoming roster rebuild -- rebuild in the literal sense -- is that they might see this offseason as an opportunity to trade one of their most prized assets in 23-year-old winger Matthew Knies.
The thought process behind it is still solid. The Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and with the No. 1 pick are most likely selecting Gavin McKenna -- a left winger who will take up a spot in the top six that typically has belonged to Knies. Partner that with having Knies on maybe the most sweetheart of a contract as he's signed until 2031 on a contract with just a $7.75-million AAV and dreaming of what a team might pay to get that kind of player on that kind of deal. It makes some sense.
Matthew Knies provides more value to the Leafs than whatever his trade return would be
But there's a massive glaring issue. Depending on what they can get back, they are going to be parting ways with a player who feels destined to score 30 goals and be a point-per-game player for years to come. Someone who will torture teams for the rest of the decade.
And it's not even just the scoring, Knies is the kind of player that will excel in the playoffs in his prime years -- eight goals and 14 points in 27 playoff games so far isn't great but he was still developing. We all know he has that physicality to grind opponents down and get in their face and even get nasty with a couple players. You just don't get rid of that type of guy for nothing.
As Kadri would say, you always keep the dawgs. https://t.co/sEvrjKZAHI
— Jen (@tavkniesnythews) May 18, 2026
Of course, if the Leafs suddenly get back a player with a similar ceiling, plus a bunch of draft picks and prospects, it will be hard to say no. If the Chicago Blackhawks come calling and Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore and next year's first-round pick is thrown down on the table for Knies because they just so desperately need some size to play with Connor Bedard -- it will, again, be hard to say no.
But if the Leafs are not blown away and are almost scared to think that they are dreaming because of the kind of package they just got offered, they have to keep Knies. He's just not a player you trade away so easily, just because you need to re-coup some of the draft picks stupidly traded away by a previous general manager.
If the Leafs want to turn this around fairly quickly, there's not many players that can do that as well as Knies.
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