Matthew Knies trade rumors are suddenly alive again, and the timing should get the attention of Toronto Maple Leafs fans. With training camp approaching, NHL reporter Renaud Lavoie said Thursday that he is being told a Knies trade is still possible and that the 23-year-old forward’s name continues to circulate around the league. Lavoie indicated Montreal is unlikely to be the destination, but the bigger takeaway is that NHL teams apparently have not stopped asking about one of Toronto’s most valuable young players.
This matters because Knies has already come remarkably close to leaving Toronto. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in June that the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens had a trade-deadline deal involving Knies that was submitted roughly one minute too late. The reported return to Toronto included Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect, and two first-round picks.
My read: I do not believe the Maple Leafs are desperate to trade Knies. I do believe general manager John Chayka is willing to listen if another team offers a package capable of changing Toronto’s roster immediately or giving him enough assets to execute a second major move. There is an enormous difference between shopping Knies and refusing to call him untouchable.
Why Matthew Knies Trade Rumors Are Back for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Chayka tried to cool this story earlier in the offseason. In June, he described the possibility of trading Knies as “not probable” and later called him an elite power forward whose contract allows the Maple Leafs to build around him. That position has proven accurate so far: Knies remains a Toronto Maple Leaf entering September.
But Thursday’s report is important because it suggests the market has never completely disappeared.
And Montreal was not the only team connected to Knies this summer. During the negotiations that could have sent Jason Robertson from Dallas to Seattle, Frank Seravalli reported that Dallas and Toronto discussed a separate deal in which the Stars could have flipped the No. 7 overall pick to the Maple Leafs for Knies. The chain of transactions collapsed when the Robertson situation failed to materialize.
That gives us two significant data points. Toronto was reportedly prepared to move Knies at the trade deadline under Brad Treliving, and the new Chayka front office has at least listened to meaningful Knies proposals.
That does not mean a trade is coming. It means the asking price is probably enormous.
Matthew Knies Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 240 | 67 | 93 | 160 | -13 |
| Playoffs | 27 | 8 | 6 | 14 | -2 |
What Would It Take for the Maple Leafs to Trade Matthew Knies?
Knies is coming off the best offensive season of his NHL career. He finished 2025-26 with 23 goals, 43 assists and 66 points in 79 games. His 66 points represented a 13.8% increase from the 58 points he produced the previous season.
The raw production only tells part of the story. NHL EDGE ranked Knies in the 96th percentile among forwards with 84 high-danger shots on goal last season, while his 13 high-danger goals ranked in the 83rd percentile. Those numbers reinforce what makes him difficult to replace: he produces offense from areas where playoff goals are typically created.
The contract makes him even more interesting. Knies carries a $7.75 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season, leaving Toronto with five more seasons of team control. He also does not currently have trade protection; a modified no-trade clause does not begin until the final season of the agreement.
The most useful benchmark remains that failed Montreal transaction. A package consisting of two first-round selections plus two quality prospects is the type of return generally associated with a franchise-level trade asset, not a disposable cap casualty. Because that deal was never officially completed, it should be treated as a reported market benchmark rather than a finalized NHL transaction.
How Trading Matthew Knies Could Change the Maple Leafs Salary Cap
There is another reason rival teams may wonder whether Chayka can be tempted: Toronto is facing a tight cap situation.
PuckPedia currently projects the Maple Leafs at approximately $2.75 million over the $104 million 2026-27 salary cap with a 23-player roster. Removing Knies’ $7.75 million cap hit without taking NHL salary back would create a mathematical swing of approximately $7.75 million and leave Toronto with roughly $5 million in projected space before replacing his roster spot.
Still, I would be careful about calling this a salary-cap dump. Knies is far too valuable for that. If Toronto trades him, the objective should be to improve the hockey team, with the extra flexibility functioning as a secondary benefit.
That distinction is critical.
Toronto already has Gavin McKenna joining an intriguing young group after selecting him first overall in June, but moving a 23-year-old power forward coming off a 66-point season would remove exactly the type of player teams normally try to acquire.
My observation is that Chayka’s threshold should be extraordinarily high. If another team offers futures, Toronto should only entertain it if those assets can immediately be redirected into another young star. If the return is an established NHL player, that player should either address a premium position or give Toronto a meaningful upgrade that cannot otherwise be obtained.
The earlier reports have also aged in an interesting way. Chayka’s June position that a trade was unlikely has been correct: Knies has not been moved. Thursday’s update does not invalidate that stance. It simply tells us the phone may still be ringing.
And until Chayka hangs up for good, Matthew Knies will remain one of the most fascinating names surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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