Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens linked with NHL star forward in unfinished blockbuster from trade deadline

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens are at the center of NHL trade talk once again, as new reports surface that a big trade almost went down at the March trade deadline. The reported deal involved one of Toronto’s biggest young forwards and a big package from Montreal.The story has re-emerged before the off-season, with the new Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, John Chayka, now answering questions about whether discussions could pick up again. This development quickly became one of the biggest talking points in the latest NHL news roundup.The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly were close to trading Matthew Knies to the Montreal Canadiens before the March deadline.NHL insider David Pagnotta reported the Canadiens and Maple Leafs had agreed on a deal involving Knies. The package reportedly included highly-touted prospect Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect and two first-round draft picks to Toronto. But the deal was never officially filed before the league deadline.The story resurfaced in headlines when Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes recently admitted his club had failed to complete a big deal.Pagnotta later identified the other team as the Toronto Maple Leafs. Those talks were under former general manager Brad Treliving, so now it’s about John Chayka and whether the new front office would do the same thing this summer.Matthew Knies has established himself as one of the cornerstone players for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 23-year-old forward scored 23 goals and 43 assists in 79 games in the 2025-26 campaign and is signed for five more seasons.His mix of size, skill and playoff-style hockey has made him a hot commodity around the league. While there have been plenty of NHL trade rumours involving multiple clubs. As many believe, Knies is the type of player the Toronto Maple Leafs should build around, not trade.