- Leafs agreed to send Matthew Knies to the Canadiens at the March deadline, per David Pagnotta
- Montreal’s package included Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect and two first-round picks
- Read below for why the trade collapsed and what comes next
Matthew Knies was almost a Montreal Canadien at the trade deadline. The only thing that saved the Leafs was the clock.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported Thursday that Toronto and Montreal agreed to a Knies trade late on deadline day in March. The Leafs accepted the offer but couldn’t get the paperwork filed with the league before the 3pm ET deadline, and the deal died right there.
Montreal’s offer was enormous. Top prospect Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect and two first-round picks, all for Knies. Pagnotta’s sources confirmed the second prospect was not Michael Hage or David Reinbacher.
Kent Hughes all but admitted it this week. The Canadiens GM wouldn’t confirm the specifics but said the “significant deal” he chased at the deadline can be revisited this summer.
One thing has changed since March. Brad Treliving signed off on that trade, and he’s out as Leafs GM. John Chayka runs the front office now, and nobody knows if he’d ever reopen those talks.
It’s easy to see why Montreal zeroed in on Knies. He’s 23, stands 6-foot-3 and just put up a career-high 66 points. His $7.75 million cap hit runs through 2030-31, and he carries no trade protection.
Habs management isn’t slowing down either. Montreal wants a second-line centre and a top-six winger this summer, and Brendan Gallagher’s agent already has the green light to find him a new home.
If Hughes calls Toronto again this summer, Chayka gets to decide whether the Knies trade stays dead.
