The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be putting Matthew Knies on the trade block, but the noise around him hasn’t gone away.
TSN and NHL insider Darren Dreger said the chatter around Knies is still alive, even if Toronto isn’t actively pushing his name. Knies, who does not have trade protection, was a frequent topic this offseason after rumors tied back to trade discussions at the NHL Entry Draft. Dreger put it this way: “Matthew Knies’ name continues to be brought up in trade talks, however, it’s not something the Maple Leafs have “on the front burner.””
He followed that up by stressing that Toronto isn’t shopping the forward. “I don’t believe for a second that the Maple Leafs are shopping Matthew Knies.
I just think that it’s conversations that managers would have had at the trade deadline or in the offseason, and they’re circling back. It’s not front-burner stuff, but maybe it develops as the season unfolds.”
That leaves the story in an awkward middle ground: not an active pursuit, but not dead either.
Some fans have brushed the whole thing off as an old rumor getting dragged back into circulation. Others point to Knies’ early look under new head coach Jim Hiller.
After two preseason games, Hiller was asked about the winger and said there’s more in his game than he has shown so far. “I thought he was better tonight.
He wasn’t that dangerous. I think he only ended up with one shot on goal.
Took one to the net. So I think this has been okay.
I wouldn’t say strongly one way or the other. I think there’s more there for sure.”
Dreger’s read is that Toronto wouldn’t shut down the idea if the right offer showed up. The Maple Leafs aren’t out hunting for a deal, but they also don’t appear to be slamming the door on conversations.
The exact teams in the mix remain unclear. The early belief was that the Montreal Canadiens had interest, and Kirill Marchenko in Columbus has also been linked. Those Canadiens and Maple Leafs rumors have since cooled.
Even so, Knies would draw attention if he became available. He’s signed through 2031 on a team-friendly deal worth $7.75 million per season, which makes him the kind of player plenty of NHL teams would at least want to ask about.
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