Blockbuster Trade Involving Matthew Knies Was Rejected by Leafs, and It May Have Cost Them a Deep Playoff Run
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Mikko Rantanen has been absolutely dominant in the current NHL playoffs, and Matthew Knies has been quite the steal for Toronto. Many Montreal Canadiens fans would love to get their hands on him, in fact.
Knies is one of the few Leafs players who seems built for playoff hockey, and he's eligible for an offer sheet this summer.
As for Rantanen, who was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline, he very well could have ended up with the Toronto Maple Leafs instead of the team from Texas.
You read that right.
As reported by multiple sources, not only did Mitch Marner refuse to be traded to Carolina in exchange for Rantanen, but it's now come to light that another offer was on the table between the Maple Leafs and the Hurricanes.
A blockbuster trade offer was submitted to the Toronto Maple Leafs, involving Matthew Knies and Mikko Rantanen
During a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman revealed that if Leafs GM Brad Treliving had agreed to include forward Matthew Knies in the deal with the Hurricanes..
Mikko Rantanen would be wearing blue and white today, and the Maple Leafs would probably still be playing hockey, instead of having been eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the second round of the playoffs.
Wow.
In the end, Treliving refused to give up his power forward, and the Hurricanes turned to the Stars, acquiring Logan Stankoven and two draft picks instead.
That said, just imagine for a second if Marner had been traded to Carolina for Rantanen!
Or if Matthew Knies had been traded to Carolina for Rantanen (along with two first-round picks)!
We might be watching a conference final featuring those two teams right now.
| POLL | ||
MAI 25 | 4283 ANSWERS Blockbuster Trade Involving Matthew Knies Was Rejected by Leafs, and It May Have Cost Them a Deep Playoff Run Would the Maple Leafs have made it past the second round with Mikko Rantanen? | ||
| Yes | 2382 | 55.6 % |
| No | 1901 | 44.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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