The Toronto Maple Leafs will be trading Matthew Knies according to Darren Dreger's report on NHL executives
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 19, 2026 (5:54 PM)
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Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
When NHL executives start telling TSN's Darren Dreger that Matthew Knies will be traded, John Chayka is running a market test - not planning a firesale.
Montreal reportedly placed a serious offer on the table at the trade deadline: Alexander Zharovsky, a second top-tier prospect, and two first-round picks.
That has the conversation firmly anchored to what GM John Chayka decides to do with that offer, especially after Darren Dreger's latest report.
"NHL execs believe the Toronto Maple Leafs will trade Matthew Knies."
- Darren Dreger
- Darren Dreger
But there is a structural problem buried in this debate that changes what the return has to include.
Toronto hired Jim Hiller as head coach just two days ago. His Los Angeles Kings allowed just 210 goals last season and built an identity as the most physically demanding team in the league to play against.
That identity was not built around flashy scorers. It was built on forwards who made every shift in the defensive zone a fight for the puck.
Why Knies is the cornerstone Hiller needs
Knies has 160 points in 240 regular-season games and brings the size, net-front presence, and board dominance that define Hiller's system.
He is exactly the type of winger the new coaching staff needs to establish their identity in year one.
Trading him before training camp hands Hiller a top-six void that prospects playing in the minors cannot fill this fall.
That is a problem no draft pick solves before October.
What the return would actually have to look like
Toronto already holds the first-overall pick at the 2026 draft, which makes the futures portion of Montreal's offer far less compelling than it sounds.
More picks and prospects from a rebuilding rival solve nothing if the new bench boss cannot build around proven NHL players immediately.
Unless Chayka gets a ready-now roster piece that fits Hiller's structure, this trade stays on the board longer than the league expects.
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