With conversations regarding Matthew Knies and the possibility of him being traded, Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka spoke to those rumors on Friday.
Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Matthew Knies is an interesting trade target for several teams around the NHL. As a 23-year-old, going into the second year of his $7.75-million contract that has no trade-protection clauses, Knies is an attractive asset.
Therefore, in a time when the Maple Leafs are looking to garner assets after missing the playoffs last year, there have been trade rumors surrounding Knies throughout the off-season.
After acquiring defenseman Darren Raddysh, Leafs GM John Chayka was made available to the media and spoke on the Knies trade rumors.
"As my job as general manager, we're gonna evaluate everything," Chayka said. "The idea that we're gonna improve the roster by moving, you know, a top young player, yeah, anything's possible."
Though Knies is undoubtedly an appealing piece for other NHL teams, he's also very important to the Maple Leafs, and will be for several years.
That isn't lost on Toronto's management, and it seems that it will take a massive haul for the Leafs to actually move Knies to another team.
"I guess it's not probable," Chayka said. "But as we think about our team and, you know, how we improve, that's a tough bar to hurdle."
Knies is coming off a career-best campaign in terms of assists and points. Last year, he scored 23 goals and 43 assists for 66 points. That was his third full season in the NHL, but his fourth year appearing for the Maple Leafs.
Not only has Knies grown as a real star for Toronto and a critical piece to its roster on a nightly basis, but he also shows up in the playoffs, putting up five goals and seven points in 13 games in the 2024-25 post-season.
He plays top-line minutes for the Maple Leafs now, appears on the top power-play unit, kills penalties occasionally, and has a physical presence as one of the league's top power forwards.
There's no doubt that he would draw a big package in terms of the return in a trade. However, his importance to the team is recognized.
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