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The Chicago Blackhawks hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which takes place later this week.
There's at least a chance that pick ends up with the Toronto Maple Leafs instead.
No, it doesn't appear that the Leafs would be giving their No. 1 overall pick in return in some kind of larger deal.
Instead, this has to do with the ongoing Matthew Knies trade rumors.
A trio of ESPN insiders wrote about this possibility in a new article on Tuesday:
"Toronto continues to field calls on Matthew Knies. The Blackhawks have been interested for a while, as Knies (23) fits their age range to grow with Connor Bedard and the rest of their emerging core. The No. 4 pick from Chicago is absolutely in play."
MORE: It's time to ask a serious Matthew Knies question
That blurb comes specifically from ESPN's top NHL insider, Emily Kaplan. It definitely means there's some legitimate potential of this happening.
The Maple Leafs don't have a great reason to trade Knies, but that fourth pick is particularly interesting.
Assuming that Toronto uses the top overall pick to choose Gavin McKenna, a winger, maybe they'd then want to move Knies, who is also a winger.
The No. 4 pick could be in prime territory to take one of the top couple defensemen in this draft, and the Maple Leafs could definitely use help on the blue line.
Whether or not a deal happens likely depends what the view of the Leafs and Blackhawks is beyond Knies and the pick. Which side deserves more? It's definitely one to keep an eye on.
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