The biggest rumor in the aftermath of this year’s trade deadline was the deal that ultimately didn’t go down. Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes took a while to arrive at his post-deadline media availability, and when he did, shared that he had been working on a rather big move that wasn’t able to get across the finish line.
He suggested that those talks could pick up again in the offseason, which, of course, has led the rest of the hockey world to speculate about who that player he was targeting could have been. Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou’s names were out there, while some wondered about young centers Matty Beniers or Shane Wright in Seattle. Though nothing has been officially confirmed, according to one insider, it turns out that big-name acquisition actually would have been Matthew Knies.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos revealed what he heard about the rival Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs discussing a Knies trade on deadline day.
“I’m just telling you what I’m hearing. There is a sense, in at least my inner world, that the deal that he was working on was with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah. Alright, this is where we get to spitball now. Elliotte was the first to report Matthew Knies’ name out there. I had also heard it, and I put him on my trade board at the end of the week. And there is a sense out there that perhaps there was something brewing around that type of guy. I can tell you that his name was out there with multiple teams,”
The 23-year-old Knies is in year one of the six-year, $46.5 million extension he just signed with the Maple Leafs this summer. He’s produced 51 points (16 goals, 35 assists) in 61 games played this season despite some ups and downs and injury issues along the way.
Matthew Knies to Montreal Still Possible?
As Hughes noted, the door remains open for whatever big trade he was working on to be revisited this summer, and given Knies has no-trade protection until 2030-31—a rarity in today’s NHL—he certainly fits the mold to be that kind of option.
Montreal is stocked with young players, prospects, and draft picks to work with, Kaiden Guhle and Michael Hage specifically mentioned by Justin Bourne in response to Kypreos’ rumblings. That said, in order for Knies to become a Canadien, you have to imagine Toronto would force its arch-nemesis to pay a premium, and more than any other suitor.
While nothing wound up happening last week, this will undoubtedly be a fascinating situation to keep an eye on come the offseason. We know Hughes is never shy about making a splash, and Brad Treliving is not in a position to be sitting on his hands either.
Next: “No Other Way Around It”: Insider Says Treliving’s Job in Jeopardy
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