Maple Leafs turn down huge offer for Matthew Knies.

For weeks now fans in Toronto have heard rumors and speculation surrounding a possible trade involving talented young Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies, and it sounds like that speculation was well founded.

Recently, National Hockey League insider Frank Seravalli provided insight into two attempted trades involving Knies, one that the Maple Leafs declined themselves and another in which the choice was made for them.

The first reveal from Seravalli involved one of the very top picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, with the insider revealing that the Chicago Blackhawks were prepared to use the #4 pick to make that deal a reality. The Leafs however held firm and demanded a very high price for Knies, with the Blackhawks eventually choosing to keep the pick and draft a player instead.

"If the Leafs are going to be doing this it's going to be for an absolute huge haul," revealed Seravalli on the Fan Pregame. "Chicago is a team that had #4 on the table in a conversation for Matthew Knies but the Leafs wanted a roster player, plus, plus on top of #4."

In another scenario, it sounds like the Maple Leafs were denied before they got the chance to pull the trigger. According to Seravalli, when Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson declined to sign a long term extension with the Seattle Kraken, the deal the Maple Leafs had in place with the Stars became unravelled.

"The plan for the Dallas Stars was to then take #7 which they were gonna get from Seattle and flip that to Toronto," revealed Seravalli. "In a deal that also involved Matthew Knies, it was a package I believe."

Now that the 2026 NHL Draft is officially wrapped up it seems less likely that Knies will be moved in the coming days and weeks, but with seemingly so many teams around the NHL showing interest there may still very well be a trade out there for the Maple Leafs.