Rumblings of major offseason trade between Leafs and Devils.

A very disgruntled player in the New Jersey Devils organization appears to be well and truly on his way out, and now that has led to rumblings of a potential trade between the Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It all started with a report from Devils reporter Ryan Novozinsky who reported late last week that all signs appear to indicate that Simon Nemec's time in New Jersey is on the verge of coming to an end. Novozinsky cited comments from Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald that acknowledged a recent change in agent from Nemec, a player that has openly expressed his unhappiness with his situation in New Jersey.

"With Simon, yeah, he did change agencies," acknowledged Fitzgerald as per NJ.com. "We went through what he means to us. He’s a good young defenseman. He’s part of our organization until he’s not."

That doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement of Nemec's future in New Jersey and in fact it sounds like the exact opposite. That being said, if the plan is to trade Nemec what is it that the Devils would like to get in return? Well according to Novozinsky they have one player in mind in particular.

From Novozinsky:

It’s clear who one of their top choices is. Two people with knowledge of the situation told NJ.com that the Devils’ interest in Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is “very real.” Multiple other reports have linked the Devils to the former second-round pick too. Knies is a 6-foot-3, 232-pound power forward who scored 29 goals and 58 points in 2024-25 and 20 goals and 59 points in an injury-riddled year this season.

While Nemec, a former first round pick (2nd overall) at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft has proven himself to be a very capable NHL defenseman, I am not convinced that the Maple Leafs would be willing to give up Knies to acquire Nemec in a one for one trade.

That being said there were rumblings ahead of the NHL trade deadline that Knies could be dealt in an effort to replenish the Maple Leafs pool of draft picks and prospects, and perhaps the Devils could sweeten the deal, with a draft pick or otherwise, to entice the Maple Leafs into pulling the trigger on a Knies for Nemec type of trade.

Would you make this deal if you were the Leafs? Would you make it if you were the Devils? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.