The Canadiens are still waiting for the right trade to come together, but one name keeps hanging around the conversation: Matthew Knies.
Montreal has made no secret of its patience on the market. Kent Hughes has yet to find a price he likes this summer, and the club is clearly unwilling to overpay just to force a move.
Still, that patience comes with a deadline of its own. At some point, the Canadiens need to land the kind of impact top-six forward they’ve been chasing for the past year.
Knies has been the closest thing to a fit.
Hughes reportedly came close to finishing a deal for the Toronto Maple Leafs forward at the last trade deadline, but the transaction never got across the line. And according to BPM Sports’ Renaud Lavoie, Knies’ name is still out there.
Lavoie believes a trade is still possible, though he cautions against assuming Montreal is the inevitable landing spot. Other teams are involved, which means the Canadiens are not alone in the hunt.
Toronto’s change at general manager adds another wrinkle. The deal that was being discussed in March is said to no longer be available, and John Chayka is operating with different demands. Even so, he appears to share the same basic stance as his predecessor: he remains open to moving one of the most physical players on the roster.
The interest is easy to understand. Knies put up 66 points last season, with 23 goals, and that kind of production keeps him squarely on the radar for multiple teams.
The price tag, though, is heavy. His contract carries a $7.75 million annual cap hit, and that remains a major hurdle for any club trying to pry him loose.
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Montembeaults future is already a talking point because a move before the deadline has been viewed as plausible, and the uncertainty only grows if the Jets decide to shift course. If Winnipeg starts asking around on Montreals goalie, the discussion could widen quickly, but for now it remains all speculation and there have been no confirmed transactions to report. [Read more 🡒]