Could Former Third-Overall Pick Be Part of a Potential Matthew Knies Trade Return?

We’ve learned a lot about the Matthew Knies trade talk that went down before the deadline—enough to suggest this is a situation that will remerge this summer, as Nick Kypreos has continued to reiterate.

Those conversations were serious, and the five teams that showed the most interest were the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Utah Mammoth. All of those suitors are stocked with young players, prospects, and draft picks capable of putting together a compelling offer. However, one young player with four years of NHL experience has emerged above all as a strong target for the Maple Leafs: Mason McTavish.

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Anaheim’s third-overall pick in 2021 has had an up-and-down first season under new head coach Joel Quenneville, which includes recently being a healthy scratch for two games. As a result, his name has surfaced in the rumor mill, with many in Leafs Nation wondering about a potential fit in Toronto, perhaps in a deal for Knies.

Jon Steitzer of TheLeafsNation wrote:

“A recent healthy scratch makes him seem available and the fact that if he gets on track in Toronto he’d be the ideal centre to follow Auston Matthews in the Leafs lineup and capable of pushing Tavares to the third line or the wing, McTavish is a target worth talking about.

There are obviously risks associated with going with someone who has been struggling to point of being scratched, but age and contracts line up nicely, and the lower production from McTavish is offset by the fact that he plays centre. If McTavish is in play, the Leafs wouldn’t be wrong for seeing if there is a fit,”

The 23-year-old McTavish is in the first year of a six-year, $42 million extension he signed with the Ducks in September, which includes no trade protection until 2029-30—an eerily similar contract to Knies’ with the Maple Leafs. He currently has 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) through 63 games.

Toronto would likely ask for more than just McTavish in a package for Knies, given that his value has dropped off slightly over the past year. That said, this could be the perfect time for the Maple Leafs to buy a little lower than they might have been able to in previous seasons.

McTavish has all the tools to be a legitimate second-line center and showed that during his first three seasons with the Ducks. Not to mention, some of the other intangibles, having captained Team Canada to World Junior gold in 2022.

Trading Knies would be a tough pill to swallow, no matter the return, if the Leafs decide to go that route. However, landing a player of the same age with comparable upside—and potentially another asset on top—could be the kind of deal that eases the blow and shakes up the core in Toronto.

Next: Flyers Insider Floats Hypothetical Auston Matthews Trade to Philadelphia