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The Toronto Maple Leafs were shopping Matthew Knies before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, and apparently they pretty much had him dealt away.
NHL insider David Pagnotta reported on Thursday that Knies was in an agreed-upon deal with the Montreal Canadiens. It didn't go through, though.
Pagnotta used the word "complications" to describe why the trade didn't get over the finish line.
According to Pagnotta, Toronto would've received two first-round picks, Alexander Zharovsky and another prospect for Knies.
Maple Leafs fans in the comment section of this news certainly seem glad that the deal didn't go through.
Tre was about to gift MTL Knies and not get Hage back, they couldn't fire him soon enough
— #McKennaMafia (@leafsplswin) June 4, 2026MORE: Max Domi's surgery had something go 'terribly wrong'
The Knies trade rumors are definitely a bit tricky. He's under contract through 2030-31, and he's only 23 years old.
Knies is clearly a top-six forward, a powerful and physical winger.
His cap hit per season is $7.75 million, which isn't that bad given what he brings, and the room he still has to grow.
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It's not clear whether the new front office is as eager to trade Knies, but the good news for Leafs fans who are fond of Knies is that he's still around for a decision to be made on.
Apparently, Montreal could've bolstered its NHL roster even more, potentially in a way that would've made a big difference in what was already an impressive playoff run for a young team.
Instead, the Leafs now have to figure out what they're going to do with Knies after coming quite close, per this report, to sending him out of town.
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