When Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes spoke to the media after the trade deadline had passed, he let it be known that he had been working hard on one particular deal that would have been significant for the Habs, but that he couldn’t close it. He then added that it could be revisited in the summer, meaning the target was still with its team. Given the rumours we had heard around the league about Robert Thomas’ availability, most thought that was who the GM was talking about.
Since then, another name has been making the rounds. Nick Kypreos believes the target was none other than Toronto Maple Leafs’ youngster Matthew Knies. Speaking on the podcast The Fan Hockey Show, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said that was his theory too, but that he chased down that lead and it was denied. Before adding, there was definitely smoke there. As the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire, and one has to admit that the 23-year-old, 6-foot-3, 232-pound would fill a need for the Canadiens, much more than Robert Thomas, who’s quite similar to Nick Suzuki.
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The last few weeks have shown just how much the Habs need another top-six player, and the fact that Juraj Slafkovsky was returned to the first line after multiple players tried to fill the void on Suzuki and Cole Caufield’s side shows Montreal could use another power forward type of player. This season, Knies has 51 points in 62 games playing on the Leafs’ first line.
Why would the Leafs entertain trading such a promising player? Well, it’s obvious that the Toronto brass cannot be pleased with how their season has been going. They failed to acquire a suitable replacement for Mitch Marner, and as a result, they are headed for an early summer. If they are to turn it around for next season, changes will have to be made, and they’re not exactly strong on the blueline. A prized asset like Knies, who’s already proven that he can perform in the NHL, can land you several pieces and help to jump-start a quick “reset”. Of course, the price to pay wouldn’t be low. Toronto wouldn’t want to create another issue in its lineup by trading him, meaning they would need a replacement for him on top of a defenseman.
David Alter, who covers the Leafs for The Hockey News, doesn’t believe a deal with the Habs could have been made unless Noah Dobson was part of the package coming back. Needless to say, Dobson isn’t going anywhere, but you have to think that it would have taken a significant offer to get Knies.
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If Knies were indeed the target, it would be interesting to see if anything comes of it this summer. With the season the Leafs have had, changes could be made behind the bench and in the front office. Craig Berube looks like he has lost the room, and he may well be dismissed. Would that buy Brad Treliving more time? Maybe. Time will tell. One thing’s for sure, though, if the Canadiens were to acquire Knies, the package could include quite a few assets: a first-round pick (the Leafs do not have one this year), a right-shot defenseman, perhaps David Reinbacher, and a forward, perhaps like prospect Alexander Zharovsky. I don’t see the Canadiens including Michael Hage in a trade for a winger, given how hard it is to acquire good NHL centers. Mind you, if a deal like that had gone down, the Canadiens would more than likely have needed to make another deal to get some help on their blueline, and it is believed that Hughes had another trade lined up for a right-shot defenseman.
Would it be surprising to see a deal go down between the two divisional rivals? Yes, it would be, but at the end of the day, they now face each other only four times per season, so starting next year, that’s four games out of 84 or 4.7% of the games. Of course, you don’t want to see a player you had burn you down the line, but that’s a risk that exists wherever you trade them.
Time will tell if Kypreos and Friedman’s theory pans out, or we may never know if Treliving is dismissed or if the target was someone else entirely.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
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