Leafs not actively shopping Matthew Knies, but will listen to offers

Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Matthew Knies © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Leafs not actively shopping Matthew Knies, but will listen to offers

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Kyle Morton | Last updated Jun 25, 2026 5:21 PM ET

In his first summer on the job, new Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has plenty of irons in the fire.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday after introducing Jim Hiller as the team’s new head coach, Chayka shared several updates on discussions he’s had with other teams, including a reiteration of his previously stated position that it would take a strong offer for him to trade star winger Matthew Knies.

“Matthew is an elite power forward in the prime of his career, at a number that we think allows us to build a great team around him,” Chayka said. “That all sounds pretty good to me. My job is to make the team better, but all the things I just said make that incredibly difficult to do so.”

some more quick hits
– Chayka hasn’t changed his stance on Matthew Knies. Anything is theoretically possible but the Leafs aren’t actively shopping him, they’ll listen to offers.
– Chris Tanev has resumed skating.
— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) June 25, 2026

Knies, who was reportedly nearly traded to the Montreal Canadiens during last season’s trade deadline in March, is still in trade rumors even with a new front office at the helm.

A native of Arizona, Knies is about to enter the second season of a six-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $7.75 million. Knies had a strong 2025-26 campaign even as the Leafs slumped toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The power forward skated in 79 games during the regular season while finding the back of the net 23 times and dishing out 43 assists for 66 points, marking career-highs in both assists and points while falling six goals shy of the 29 he posted in 2024-25.

Knies was a mainstay in previous head coach Craig Berube’s top six in each of the past two years, as he skated at least 18:31 per game in both of the prior two seasons after averaging 13:41 as a rookie in a depth role in 2023-24.

The Leafs are set to make the first overall pick in Friday night’s NHL Draft, and all signs point to Toronto adding another left winger in Gavin McKenna with the top pick. McKenna’s arrival itself would not prompt a Knies trade, as the two possess entirely different skill sets, but Chayka is clearly willing to move the 23-year-old if a massive offer presents itself.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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