Matthew Knies is back in the kind of conversation that usually follows productive young power forwards: not just how good he is, but how available he might be.
That’s the twist after a career-high 66-point season. Knies put up 23 goals in 2025-2026, a drop from the 29 he scored in 2024-25, and that dip was enough to bring trade chatter back into the picture. There were even reports that a deal with the Montreal Canadiens was in the cards at the trade deadline.
For Toronto, the bigger issue is what Knies looks like when the setup around him changes.
His numbers alongside Auston Matthews have been the strongest of the three main line combinations cited: a 53.82% GF%, compared with 48.65% beside William Nylander and 46.63% with John Tavares. That split tells the story.
Knies has shown he can fit next to an elite center. The real question is whether he can keep driving play when Hiller changes the lines or if Matthews misses time.
That matters even more now because Toronto needs more than a passenger. Since the departure of Mitch Marner, the Leafs have been in desperate need of a forward to create chances, and Knies is being pushed toward that role. The team wants him to be a driver of offense, not just someone finishing off what others start.
The traits that will define that leap are the ones that show up in the details: controllable entries, shot volume, net drives, puck recoveries, and chances created off his own touches. In other words, Toronto wants to see offense that starts with Knies, not offense he inherits.
That’s the path that could change the whole trade conversation. Young, big, productive wingers are always going to surface in rumors, but the way to shut that down is to become untradeable. The new management group led by John Chayka needs to know whether Knies is merely useful or a real core piece for the future.
The goal total still matters. Toronto needs secondary scoring behind Auston Matthews, and a 30-goal season would go a long way toward making Knies feel indispensable.
But the bigger test is broader than one number. If he can show that his career-high 66-point season holds up across different linemates and different situations, then moving a 23-year-old power forward on a long-term deal becomes a lot harder to justify.
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