- Matthew Knies says GM John Chayka told him he is a valuable piece in Toronto after a summer of trade rumors
- The winger declared his knee back to 100 percent following a career-high 66-point season
- Read below for Auston Matthews on how much room Knies still has to grow
Matthew Knies heard his name in trade rumors all summer. Toronto’s new general manager told him to quit worrying about it.
Reporters asked Knies on Friday what John Chayka has said to him since taking over the front office.
“He felt that I was a valuable piece here, and that’s kind of what I have to earn and show every day. I want to be here, they need me here, so I just keep going with that mindset.”
Watch Knies handle the rumors and his health after Friday’s practice:
Knies also settled the knee question. He hurt it in November, missed three games, and played through it the rest of the way with treatment and maintenance days off the practice ice.
“I’m back to 100 percent,” Knies said. “No issues with it. It’s not going to be a problem this year.”
He still put up 66 points (23 goals, 43 assists) in 79 games, the best output of his career. His goal total dropped from the 29 he scored in 2024-25, which tracks with a winger who spent the year without his usual power.
The rumors had teeth. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported in June that Toronto and Montreal had agreed on a Knies deal at the March deadline, only for the Leafs to miss the 3 p.m. ET filing cutoff. Brad Treliving signed off on that one. Chayka replaced him and kept the winger through every round of summer speculation.
Auston Matthews was asked Friday how much more there is in his linemate’s game.
“For him, he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his ceiling. He’s going to continue to get better and better, and he works at it as well.”
Here’s the full Group 1 media availability from Friday:
Through two camp sessions, Knies has skated left wing with Matthews at center and Jack Roslovic on the right. Jim Hiller wants a long look at the trio in Saturday’s split-squad preseason opener against Montreal.
“I really want to let that line play tomorrow night,” Hiller said. “I’ll watch it closely. That’s the line I’m most interested in.”
Year two of the six-year deal starts now, at a $7.75 million cap hit. A healthy knee and the first-line left wing job are exactly the setup Knies wanted out of a messy summer.
