Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Elliotte Friedman cleared up any potential Matthew Knies trade talks, but with it taking a considerable offer to part with him: Would Toronto actually do it? Well let’s take a look a a few potential scenarios that could prove to help — or hinder the future of the franchise.
A lot of discussion centred around the Toronto Maple Leafs and who they would end up dealing at the deadline. They settled on Bobby McMann, Nic Roy, and Scott Laughton while basically waving the white flag on making the playoffs. With a revamped draft cupboard, there’s at least a little more flexibility heading into the summer.
Elliotte Friedman reports ‘perfect’ deal the only thing to budge Knies away from Toronto
One name who was very, very unlikely to be gone was Matthew Knies; someone Toronto envisions as a core part of the future for years to come. Nothing is impossible though, and as Elliotte Friedman reports — it has to be the perfect deal if the Maple Leafs even entertain a potential swap:
With the whole Matthew Knies thing, one of the guys I wondered about was Nemec. Now I don’t think Nemec for Knies, 1-for-1, makes any sense for Toronto, but I do think that is the kind of thing those two teams would’ve talked about.
However, with a lot of improvements needed and a swath of changes incoming, getting rid of Knies would certainly indicate that nothing is off limits but would hurt the Maple Leafs long term.
Or would it? If Friedman is saying Toronto wants a perfect deal — then let’s give them some options.
Scenario A: Knies for Fantilli – Toronto gets their centre of the future
We are going to start off with a simple one to ease you guys and gals into this. This trade involves swapping two young, offensively loaded prospects but give the Maple Leafs a massive leg up down the middle:
(F) Matthew Knies (60 games, 51 points, 16 goals, minus-15, $7.75M AAV)
(C) Adam Fantilli (61 games, 42 points, 17 goals, minus-9, $950,000 AAV-RFA)
It’s a deal that looks pretty good for both sides, as it gives Columbus a star power forward with elite potential locked up on a very reasonable deal for the next six seasons.
On the flip side, Fantilli is a restricted free agent and will earn a big raise on his ELC, but Toronto can afford to extend him to a long-term deal for big money. Plus, he’s only 21 (two years younger than Knies) and their career stats are pretty similar.
Toronto doesn’t lose the physicality of Knies as Fantilli likes to hit, but the best part of all? The Maple Leafs have their new 2C to replace John Tavares. With Nic Roy and Scott Laughton gone, this would allow Tavares to slide into a smaller role while also still being a key contributor.
Also he’s a bit of an insurance policy if Auston Matthews leaves in a couple years, as he would be the new 1C and lead the team alongside William Nylander and potentially guys like Easton Cowan or even Gavin McKenna.
It’s not the most exciting deal, but it’s one that fits two teams’ needs and would allow both franchises to still have young, elite players for years to come.
Scenario B: Mr. Knies Goes to Washington; Chychrun and Fehervary completely remake Toronto’s defence
This one is a little heftier than the previous deal as Toronto is going to send more than just Knies over, but in doing so they would be instantly making their defence respectable again.
(F) Matthew Knies (60 games, 51 points, 16 goals, minus-15, $7.75M AAV)
(D) Brandon Carlo (40 games, 5 points, 76 blocks, plus-6, $3.485M AAV)
(F) Matias Maccelli (52 games, 28 points, 12 goals, minus-14, $3.425M AAV-RFA)
2028 3rd-round pick
(D) Jakob Chychrun (61 games, 49 points, 22 goals, plus-19, $9M AAV)
(D) Martin Fehervary (62 games, 20 points, 132 blocks, plus-12, $6M AAV)
2027 5th-round Pick
With the loss of John Carlson, there’s a changing of the guard on the backend in Washington and with this deal — it completely disintegrates it.
Knies can help be part of the new wave of Capital talent to take over after the eventual end of the Alex Ovechkin era. Knies, along with names like Ryan Leonard, Ivan Miroschnichenko, and Aliaksei Protas can help guide the Capitals into the future with a lot of potential behind it.
Add in Carlo as a fairly cheap, reliable shutdown option who is still under 30 (and a righty) plus the potential to add Maccelli into a mix of forwards who bring a lot of excitement and there’s a real shot that Washington can transform their entire team overnight.
Toronto takes absolutely no salary retention on any of Washington’s deals, and will absorb the $15-million in cap to make this work. Heck, they should probably retain on Carlo to make it even more appealing.
This is a trade that blows up the defence and makes Toronto respectable again. Looking for a true transition blueliner and someone who actually shoots; you’re getting Chychrun in his prime, and someone who can instantly replace Morgan Rielly while being a better player at both ends.
Then you add in Fehervary to replace an aging Chris Tanev, as you’re going to be paying the money to replace him anyways — may as well get the carbon copy. He loves to block shots, he plays hard, grinds out battles, and doesn’t lazily play the puck in his own zone.
Toronto’s defense looks worlds different now doesn’t it?
Chychrun – McCabe
Fehervary – Ekman-Larsson
Rielly – Tanev
While we are keeping Rielly and Tanev in the lineup, they are in a much safer role as Toronto can’t afford to keep them out, but also can’t give them top responsibilities anymore.
It’s a bit of a complicated deal, but the numbers work for both teams — it’s just whether or not Washington feels like the best defence is an insane offence.
Scenario C: The Blockbuster — Knies, Woll, and picks to Chicago for an entire rebuild
Here’s where we really get off the rails. Toronto sends a bevy of players and picks in order to completely redesign their lineup. It’s crazy, but let’s see:
*(F) Matthew Knies (60 games, 51 points, 16 goals, minus-15, $7.75M AAV)
(D) Oliver Ekman-Larsson (61 games, 35 points, 8 goals, minus-6, $3.5M AAV)
**(F) Jacob Quillan (38 games, 33 points, 12 goals, plus-9, $875,000 AAV)
*(G) Joseph Woll (28 games, 13 wins, two shutouts, 3.13 GAA, .902 SV%, $3.6M AAV)
2027 First-Round Pick
2028 3rd-Round Pick
(C) Frank Nazar (46 games, 27 points, 8 goals, minus-15, $6.6M AAV)
(D) Wyatt Kaiser (58 games, 12 points, 47 blocks, minus-13, $1.7M AAV)
**(F) Martin Misiak (46 games, 9 points, 3 goals, minus-6, $879,000 AAV)
(D) Louis Crevier (59 games, 15 points, 64 blocks, minus-3, $900,000 AAV)
*Denotes 50% salary retention
**Denotes AHL Stats
Now let’s take a breather before we get into it. All good? Alright.
Toronto sends an incredibly lucrative package that includes two young forwards, a cheap veteran defenceman, a starting goalie, and two premium picks. This is what you call a ‘blockbuster’.
All jokes aside, this deal is something that might actually work for both sides.
For starters, Chicago gets an elite power forward in Knies to slot beside Connor Bedard forever, while also getting a bottom-six defensive wizard who has some scoring chops in Quillan.
Then you add Ekman-Larsson on a cheap deal to help mentor the new crop of Blackhawks blueliners like Artem Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Alex Vlasic while also providing potentially 35-40 points as well.
On top of that, you bring in Joseph Woll — a proven starter who is part of a three-headed monster in Toronto that needs a bit of splitting up. He’s more appealing to a younger team than Anthony Stolarz, and would replace Arvid Soderblom albeit a bit more expensive.
Flip to Toronto now. They get a 22-year old center in Nazar, a 23-year old and 24-year old defender in Kaiser and Crevier, while also adding an intriguing playmaking power forward in Martin Misiak.
If the team is truly rebuilding then adding as much young talent as possible should be the key. The oldest player in the deal coming back is 24 (Crevier) but he’s also 6’8, 240 pounds; he’s still a few years from his prime.
Toronto will eat 50% salary on both Knies and Woll to make it happen, and given the most expensive right now is Nazar; he still makes roughly what Knies does and they’ll have more than enough cap space.
So how’s this for a rebuild?
Cowan – Matthews – Domi
Maccelli – Nazar – Nylander
Misiak – Tavares – Robertson
Lorentz – Groulx – Joshua
Kaiser – McCabe
Rielly – Crevier
Villeneuve – Tanev
All of a sudden the Maple Leafs are younger (to an extent), faster, have a lot more creativity and end up helping support the older guys like Tavares and Tanev by moving them down the lineup.
It’s one of the wildest trade proposals I can think of, but it’s a deal that has some serious legs if both teams want to prepare themselves for the future — whatever that becomes.
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Friedman clears up Matthew Knies 1-on-1 trade talk: 3 offers the Maple Leafs must consider
Which trade proposal do you think is best for the Maple Leafs going forward?