As the Toronto Maple Leafs head into one of their most important offseason to date, there has been lots of trade chatter around the entirety of the Maple Leafs roster, and with no general manager in place, it seems that the team is currently up in the air.
However, one name that should be completely off-limits is Matthew Knies. Moving on from Knies could significantly change the trajectory of the roster from retooling to rebuilding.
Despite recent trade rumours regarding the American forward, it seems that the Maple Leafs are still unlikely to move on from their young forward.
During the trade deadline, it was rumoured that the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Chicago Blackhawks were all interested in acquiring Knies. The reasoning behind putting Knies on the trade block was simple: Brad Treliving and the rest of the management staff were trying to see whether any team had made a proposal they couldn't refuse.
Maple Leafs would lose more than they would get by trading Matthew Knies
According to Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs reportedly were asking for three different asking prices: two first-round picks and a high-end prospect, one first-round pick and two high-end prospects, or three high-end prospects. None of which any of these teams would be willing to give up, which leads back to an offer they can't refuse. Looking at the interested teams, the only team that could consider making this deal is the Chicago Blackhawks, as they have a boatload of young prospects that the Maple Leafs would be interested in.
Knies has quickly developed into one of the most important young pieces in the organization. At just 23 years old, he brings a rare combination of size, skill, and physicality that the Maple Leafs have been searching for over the past several seasons.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and over 230 pounds, he plays a power-forward style that complements the team’s skill players while also adding an edge that has often been missing. Knies has consistently shown the ability to play up and down the line and be as impactful whether alongside Auston Matthews or on the third line with Nicholas Robertson and Max Domi.
Creating more issues than solving trading Knies
Trading Matthew Knies will create more problems rather than solve their issues. He has continued to improve every season with the Maple Leafs and provides too much value to their lineup. If the goal heading into next season is to be competitive and be back in the playoff picture, moving on from their generational talent isn't the right way to go about it.