Elliotte Friedman Addresses 'Smoke' Around Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies

“I heard some Matthew Knies, and that, to me, is the Maple Leafs seeing if there’s a massive offer they can’t turn down,” Friedman wrote. “That is the only way I see it happening.”

Appearing on Sportsnet 590 The FAN on Tuesday, Friedman elaborated after reports emerged during the weekend linking Knies to a potential trade to the Montreal Canadiens that ultimately didn't happen.

“We'll see what happens here. Obviously, I heard all the reports (on Monday). When I said on Saturday that I had a theory and I was told it wasn’t true, my theory was Knies,” Friedman said. “I heard those same theories (about a trade to Montreal being discussed).

“I’ll say this: it was denied to me, but obviously, there’s some smoke there. We'll see, but I also think it's possible there was something else, too, for the Canadiens. We'll see. But I definitely heard the Knies rumors, and I chased them before the show on Saturday. They weren't denied to me, and we'll see how things turn out in the long run."

Friedman emphasized that the rumors have nothing to do with the Leafs not liking their player, but rather needing to get future assets in return and trying to fill their nearly-empty coffers.

“I don’t think anything has changed at all,” Friedman said about Knies and the Maple Leafs’ relationship. “As I said multiple times, I do not believe this is about Matthew Knies the player; this is about the situation the Maple Leafs find themselves in, the lack of assets they have, and what they can do to get more.”

Knies, meanwhile, addressed the speculation himself following Monday's practice and before the Leafs' loss, coincidentally to the Canadiens, on Tuesday.

“I didn’t really look into it too much. I feel like, with this market, everyone’s kind of almost a target,” Knies said. “It’s a business. You earn the attention here. But I don’t want to look into it too much, I guess.”

Toronto will next host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. ET.