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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (23) celebrates his goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the third period of game one of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

Insider Reports Maple Leafs Turned Down Rantanen-for-Knies Trade

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Spencer Lazary | Last updated May 22, 2025 4:20 PM ET

Remember when the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in Mikko Rantanen before he was traded from the Dallas Stars? There were reports that Mitch Marner refused to waive his no-movement clause and so the deal fell through.

Well, according to Elliotte Friedman on a recent 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, the Maple Leafs also had a deal on the table that included Matthew Knies and Rantanen, but they declined the trade.

“You know, Pelly has some decisions to make. And I think Berube is going to have a big voice about the players. And, you know, right at the top, you know, Matthew Knies, they could have traded Matthew Knies for Rantanen in this year.

They didn’t. So they obviously think he’s going to be a big part of their future. And we’ll see where those contract talks go.”

Imagine if this trade was to go through? Not only would it mean the end of Knies with the organization, but with the contract that Rantanen signed, it would have also meant the end of Marner regardless of if he wanted to return or not.

When Friedman reported this on his podcast, he didn’t mention if the trade was with the Carolina Hurricanes or the Colorado Avalanche, but he did confirm that this trade was on the table. The Maple Leafs declined it, which should hint at how much they value Knies.

Maple Leafs Value Knies

It is clear that the Maple Leafs do value Knies. At just 22 years old, he has proven to be a huge part of the core going forward. Toronto had a chance to get one of the best power forwards and playoff performers in the NHL but elected to keep their homegrown power forward in Knies, which truly shows that they want him to be a key member of the team for the long term.

Unfortunately, things didn’t end as the team had hoped. However, Knies had a very good season and playoff. In 78 games, he had 29 goals and 29 assists for 58 points, along with 182 hits. That put him in elite company with Brady Tkachuk and Tom Wilson, who all had 25 or more goals and 150 or more hits. In the playoffs, he had some very big goals and totaled five goals and two assists for seven points in 13 games.

There is a reason why the Maple Leafs value him. He is a homegrown player that plays a style that Leafs Nation hasn’t seen since Gary Roberts in the early 2000s. His fit with the team is near perfect. He will slot on the top line alongside Auston Matthews and be the player who digs for pucks, forechecks hard, and gets to the front of the net. He is a unicorn in the NHL. He has put himself in the small category with some of the best power forwards in the league. It has worked, and with them controlling his rights, they have the ability to sign him long-term. Whereas if they had traded for Rantanen without an extension and he left, they would not only lose out on Rantanen but also Knies, who has proven he can be a beast in the league.

Knies is a restricted free agent and will be due for an extension as of July 1. With all the talk of the potential threat of him falling victim to an offer sheet, he was quick to put this to bed at his end-of-season media interview when he said, “I want to be here. I want to play here. That’s all that matters to me.” That is a clear indication that he wants to be a part of the future as much as the organization does.