The New York Rangers wanted Matthew Knies, but the Maple Leafs’ asking price apparently shut that door fast.
That’s the clearest takeaway from the latest chatter around Toronto’s 23-year-old power forward, whose name has been floating through trade speculation all summer. He’s been tied to Montreal in what sounded more like rumor than substance, mentioned in conversations involving Chicago and Buffalo with the 2026 4th overall pick in play, and then briefly connected to a Zach Werenski deal that ultimately collapsed after the defender committed to Columbus.
But the Rangers were the team that really put the market under a microscope. According to Vincent Mercogliano, New York had Knies on its radar earlier this offseason, only to run into a price tag that Chris Drury “almost surely couldn’t afford.” League chatter around that possibility has since gone quiet.
The exact offer wasn’t reported, but the sense is that Toronto was asking for a massive haul - enough to make a team with the 5th overall pick think twice. Names like Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, and Will Cuylle were floated as the kind of pieces that could have been part of a larger package, along with additional picks and prospects.
That kind of return would have been huge for the Maple Leafs, but it also explains why teams are backing off. Knies is still just 23, he’s already shown real dominance over the last two years, and he’s nowhere near his prime. Toronto knows what it has, and it’s acting like it.
The Rangers’ retreat may say as much about Knies’ standing as anything else. If a team with serious interest - and a willingness to explore a major deal - gets scared off by the cost, that’s a strong sign the rest of the league will have a hard time getting involved too.
There’s also the broader message Toronto is sending. The Maple Leafs are clearly prepared to squeeze any team that comes calling, and unless the offer is exactly right, Knies doesn’t sound like someone they’re eager to move.
The list of truly untouchable Leafs is short, with Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, and maybe Auston Matthews among the few names in that category. Knies is right at the top of it.
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