Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Thursday that an agreed trade sending Matthew Knies to the Montreal Canadiens did not close because of unspecified "complications," leaving Knies available again.
- Knies is under a six-year, $46.5 million contract that runs through 2030–31 and posted about 66 points this past season despite a knee issue, which makes him a high-value asset on the market.
- Toronto’s new general manager has publicly opened almost the entire roster to offers except Auston Matthews, which has concentrated trade leverage on players like Knies.
- NHL insider reporting named the Canadiens’ proposed return as two first-round picks, prospect Alexander Zharovsky and another prospect, though those terms come from a single set of reports and were part of the package that collapsed.
- If the Leafs do move Knies, the front office aims to turn one top-six forward into multiple players to shore up the blue line, a move that would reshape the roster and affect Matthews’ supporting cast.