TORONTO — John Chayka has stomped his way into the Toronto Maple Leafs gig, no doubt. But when it comes to Matthew Knies, the general manager should tread lightly.
Now, we don’t believe any player on a 28th-place team should be ruled untouchable. An executive’s job is to improve his roster by any means possible. But if the return for one of the more intriguing power forwards in the game is anything less than blow-your-socks-off wow, hang up the phone.
“The idea that we’re going to improve the roster by moving a top young player… anything’s possible, I guess. It’s not probable,” Chayka said last week, leaving the door open a crack.
“No doubt, I think (the speculation) makes for good writing and good interest for people. But as we think about our team and how we improve, that’s a tough bar to hurdle.”
A common theory was that the idea of the Maple Leafs trading Knies would go out the door with Brad Treliving, who hastily tried to recoup three or four assets for the winger at the trade deadline.
Division rivals Buffalo and Montreal were keen on the idea.
The rumoured return from the Canadiens: big Russian winger Alexander Zharovsky, two first-round picks, plus another prospect.
“Honestly, I think Matthew Knies is like a really unique player. His blend of size and skating and skill is really hard to find,” Chayka told Sportsnet.ca the day the was unveiled.
“I’m not aware of what happened at the deadline or what previous regimes thought. I think Mats (Sundin) and I are going to go through and evaluate the roster and make some decisions. But ultimately, I think if you’re making a decision, you’re trying to get better. You’d be really hard-pressed to do better than Matthew Knies.”
That doesn’t mean Chayka isn’t pressing hard. You know, just in case another GM wants to serve up a juicy hanging curve over the plate.
The calendar reads late June, and Knies is still featuring prominently on your friendly neighbourhood trade-bait board.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan wrote Tuesday that Chayka continues to field calls on his youngest player not named Easton Cowan. The Chicago Blackhawks are interested. GM Kyle Davidson is desperate to find complementary wingers for Connor Bedard, and 2026’s fourth-overall pick is “absolutely” in play.
Most have suggested that all this Knies chatter is simply a fishing trip: Hey, let’s put our home on the market at double its value just to see if some sucker bites.
But what does Knies think of this all?
The guy makes a six-year commitment at a team-friendly $7.75-million AAV and forgoes trade protection, making him the only core member to do so.
Then he sees the coach who featured him prominently in the top six and on both special teams get fired. And, before that, learned that the GM who extended his contract was also shopping him in Year one of his new deal.
Knies didn’t bolt for Minnesota, his off-season home, as soon as the Maple Leafs were done this spring. He hung around Toronto. Supported the Raptors and Marlies and went viral, alongside teammate William Nylander, celebrating Chayka’s draft lottery victory.
Then he watched two good friends, Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit (two more rare Leafs without no-trade clauses), get traded to Philadelphia.
That’s only the beginning of Chayka’s roster overhaul, and Knies has no control.
Outside of making his wishes clear.
“I’d love to stay here. I want to play here,” Knies asserted in April, downplaying the trade noise.
Must it must be a compliment, knowing the front office wants three blue-chip pieces for you?
“I wouldn’t look at it is as compliment. I would look at it as a crappy thing. I don’t want to leave this group of guys,” Knies said.
“It doesn’t really matter what it was. I wouldn’t want to leave here.”
In this age of U.S. stars leaving Canadian markets, we hope Chayka watched Knies’s season-ending interview and exercises some caution here.
Trade Knies, and you’ll find yourself hunting for the next Knies.
Think of the Washington Capitals’ original big extension for Tom Wilson in 2018 — six years, $31 million. Fans shouted overpay; rival GMs just got jealous.
As a product of the fight-free NCAA, Knies will probably never bring quite the life-on-the-edge style of game Wilson does for the Capitals, but he’s incredibly unique.
The man can score, hit, make plays, and complement elite talent. He’s superb at the net-front. He’ll fight his own battles (see: Whitecloud, Zach) and won’t back down from a challenge (see: Pastrnak, David).
It’s not a stretch to see him one day making his country’s Olympic team for best-on-best tournament, like Wilson. And Knies is perfectly built for a hot market. He doesn’t shy from microphones, supports his teammates, and takes ownership. He speaks honestly, plays through pain, and shows up in big moments.
In short: Matthew Knies may not be ready quite yet, but we see captain material in the making.
Remember: The guy is only 23.
Last time the Maple Leafs made the playoffs, only Nylander (six) scored more goals than Knies (five).
Even in his so-called down year, even while Toronto’s top line and power-play sagged in the loss of Mitch Marner, even while he skated through a nagging knee injury, Knies managed 23 goals and hung career highs in assists (43) and points (66).
Before Knies left Toronto for the summer, he vowed to turn around his troublesome minus-30 rating, to improve defensively. He said the severity of this “got blown out of proportion” and noted that he only missed three games. But his plan is to cut some weight and add some speed.
Knies wants to turn himself into an even greater weapon.
For the Maple Leafs to let that happen elsewhere, even in exchange for multiple decent pieces, would be incredibly risky.
The team that gets the best player wins the trade.
If Chayka pulls the trigger, he must be certain that player isn’t Knies.
And right now, we can’t see it.