News broke last week that the Toronto Maple Leafs nearly made a blockbuster deal at last year’s trade deadline. The trade would have been with the Montreal Canadiens and would have helped bolster their roster towards the playoffs. At the time, this trade could have signalled a complete rebuild for the Leafs. This is because Matthew Knies would have been the main piece going to the Canadiens. Looking back at that now, some may say the Leafs dodged a big-time bullet because the trade was reportedly submitted just minutes past the deadline.
However, with the team desperately needing help on the backend, should the Leafs consider trading Knies for a top defenceman?
Brad Treliving’s awful resume
Brad Treliving just about ended his time as the Leafs general manager with an absolute breakdown (potentially). Everyone remembers how he left the Calgary Flames. He screwed the entire franchise over by failing to re-sign superstars Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, and panicked. In return, he made a blockbuster deal with the Florida Panthers, acquiring Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a first-round pick (Cullen Potter). This was the perfect opportunity for the Flames to rebuild, but Treliving did not agree. Instead, he sent the team into complete mediocrity and signed the worst contract in NHL history (Huberdeau’s deal).
He nearly did the exact same thing with the Leafs. Last offseason, he traded superstar Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Roy. This trade was an easy loss, but the Leafs did not have much leverage. Marner is now competing in the Stanley Cup Finals and could potentially be the favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
To top it off, trading Knies could have been another disastrous move. The rumoured return for Knies would have been Alexander Zharovsky, one other prospect, and two first-round picks. The other prospect was not Michael Hage or David Reinbacher, per Elliotte Friedman and David Pagnotta. This trade may have been a better blockbuster deal than what he pulled off with the Flames, but one cannot see the potential for disaster. No top-tier prospect and two low first-round picks is a gamble of a possible return for a player of Knies’ calibre.
Should Knies be moved for a defensive prospect?
In my opinion, this is a tough decision to make. Knies is a fantastic player and will be the main power forward of the Leafs future. Although he could be the type of player to attract a great return in a trade. If the Leafs could acquire a top-pairing defenceman for Knies, I think they should at least consider it. The question is, who would be good suitors for Knies? Let’s take a look at some ArmChair GM moves.
Now, the majority of the proposed moves in ArmChair GM still have the Leafs sending Knies to Montreal. I believe the deal that was discussed is interesting and could help the Leafs in the long run. The first-round picks do not have an extremely high value, as Montreal will be a Stanley Cup contender again next season. However, I like the two prospects that the Leafs are getting. Alexander Zharovsky is a great young forward who would be one of the Leafs top prospects. The 19-year-old is coming off a great season in the KHL. Zharovsky posted 42 points in 59 games in the top hockey league in Russia.
The main piece of this trade is Bryce Pickford. He is a defenceman! Exactly what this team needs. Pickford has shown exceptional offensive skills in the WHL and can hopefully carry that into the NHL. Through 55 games this previous season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Pickford scored 45 goals and 83 points. These are unbelievable numbers. Pickford was tied for second in goals in the WHL alongside teammate Liam Ruck.
Or a rostered defenceman?
This trade does not make much sense from Dallas’s perspective, but I would still consider reviewing it. I believe that this trade would only be possible if the Stars fail to re-sign superstar Jason Robertson. If that were to happen, they would need to acquire a new, preferably younger winger. Knies would fill the role as a scoring power forward with great potential. I doubt that they would move on from Thomas Harley, but he is exactly the kind of defenceman Toronto needs (and his no-movement clause does not kick in until the 2029–30 season). In this deal, the Stars swap Harley for Oliver Ekman-Larsson and gain a young star in Knies.
It was tough to find any other realistic trade to a degree, but this one at least caught my eye. I am not a massive Colton Parayko fan, but getting Robert Thomas would be a massive bonus. This trade makes sense from both sides for the direction they are heading in. The St. Louis Blues are set to start a rebuild, while the Leafs need to make some moves to become a contender. I think that Thomas is an excellent replacement for Domi (with his injury). He will help at both ends of the ice and provide some awesome centre depth. On the other hand, Parayko may not be the greatest, but he does bring something. He is a big, strong player who has one of the hardest slapshots in the NHL. If the Leafs could find a way to move on from Brandon Carlo, I think Parayko is a better option than him.
From the Blues side, they get a young, established forward in Knies to continue building, along with Ben Danford and two first-round picks. This is a lot to give up from Toronto’s side, and I honestly think it could be a little bit of a fleece. If Toronto could just move one first-round pick, I think the trade could be very even. Although the second first-round pick ensures that St. Louis gets some value, as who knows what Danford will become.
What do you think the Leafs should do with Knies?
Final thought
In the end, I do not think the Leafs would move on from Knies, but it is still interesting to think about. Knies is a key forward for the Leafs, and it is hard to see them getting better without him. However, he is the exact piece that would need to be moved to acquire a top defenceman. Quite frankly, that needs to be the number one priority for the Leafs this offseason. Whether they do it through a signing or a trade does not matter. Something needs to be done.
I do not get it! Why would you trade a really good building piece when you are trying to build a contender and you need that kind of piece for your contending team? In the system you have 2 defencemen that you have not given a chance to with the big club, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. It may be that defensive help is hiding in plain sight right there under your nose.
Just No