A report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Friday's edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast revealed just how close the Toronto Maple Leafs came to moving Matthew Knies at the trade deadline.
According to Friedman and numerous other sources, former general manager Brad Treliving had a deal in place that would have sent Knies to the Montreal Canadiens. The reported framework would have seen Toronto receive Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect, and two first-round picks in return.
Friedman reported that the trade paperwork was submitted to the NHL's Central Registry at 3:01 p.m. ET, one minute after the deadline had passed. As a result, the deal never went through, and Knies remained a member of the Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs were saved by the bell
It's a fascinating story now that the details have come out, but it also raises an interesting question. If Montreal circles back and tries to revisit those discussions with new general manager John Chayka, should Toronto have any interest? The answer should be no.
At just 23 years old, Knies is exactly the type of player teams spend years trying to find. He's coming off a career-best season that saw him record 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games while continuing to establish himself as one of the most important pieces of Toronto's core.
Sure, there are areas of his game that still need work. His defensive play wasn't always where it needed to be, particularly during some of the Maple Leafs' struggles later in the season. But players with his combination of size, skill, physicality, and offensive upside don't become available very often. .
The contract only adds to the argument for keeping him. Knies is signed through the 2030-31 season with a cap hit of $7.75 million. In a league where power forwards are increasingly difficult to find, having a player like that locked up through his prime years is the type of move most organizations are trying to make, not undo.
And while two first-round picks and a pair of prospects sounds appealing on paper, there are no guarantees any of those assets develop into the player Knies already is. That's always the risk when trading established young talent for future pieces.
From Chayka's perspective, the focus should be on building around the core already in place. Auston Matthews is in his prime. The Maple Leafs are trying to stay competitive now while continuing to reshape the roster around him. Moving one of the organization's best young forwards for futures works against that goal.
The reality is Toronto may have gotten lucky when the clock ran out at the trade deadline. Whether you agreed with the deal at the time or not, Knies has only increased his value since then. Looking back, keeping him may have ended up being the better outcome for the organization.
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