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A trade thesis involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks around Matthew Knies could become the next NHL nuclear blast.

Trade speculation regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs trading forward Matthew Knies has dominated much of Wednesday’s NHL news cycle.

While the official narrative is that the Maple Leafs are not actively shopping the 23-year-old, the Leafs are listening to offers. The organization is in a type of holding pattern in which they’ll pull the trigger only if it makes sense.

That brings the latest chatter into focus. According to Marco D’Amico of RG Media, the Buffalo Sabres are dangling the fourth-overall pick. But there’s another interested party, the San Jose Sharks.

So, what if the Sharks were willing to top the Sabres and offer the second-overall selection? Such a proposition would be akin to a nuclear blast in the NHL. The league is certainly not ready for the Maple Leafs picking 1-2 in the 2026 NHL Draft.

It’s hard to say if the Sharks would offer a straight 1-for-1 deal involving Knies and the second-overall pick. One would have to wonder if the Leafs would be more interested in the sort of deal the Florida Panthers put together, offering three first-rounders for Brady Tkachuk.

At the very least, the idea of the Sharks sending the second and 27^th picks would be a very good start. But that is something that remains unclear. Toronto doesn’t have to move Knies, so the organization can afford to sit back and let someone wow the socks off them.

Would Knies for the Fourth Pick Make Sense?

The other side of D’Amico’s tweet is the fourth-overall pick from Buffalo. The Sabres could certainly use a replacement for Alex Tuch in their top six. Knies would fit that description.

Now, would the Maple Leafs be willing to send Knies to a division rival? It’s possible. But the price tag would be even higher, considering that the deal would involve a division rival.

The fourth-overall pick plus a defenseman like Radim Mrtka wouldn’t be a bad idea. Perhaps now the Sabres would be willing to surrender the prospect the Maple Leafs covet, seeing as circumstances have changed.

That’s pure speculation, as there is no clear indication of what the overall package for Knies could look like. But it’s clear it would have to be massive.

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Canadiens Hanging around in Negotiations with Maple Leafs

The other team hanging around Knies negotiations, at least according to D’Amico, is the Montreal Canadiens. Like Buffalo, the Canadiens are another division rival. And that also means the price tag would be slightly higher.

Would the Habs be willing to finally include Michael Hage? If Montreal GM Kent Hughes feels pressure to compete, he might just be willing to jettison a future top-six forward for a power forward like Knies.

The difference, however, is that the Canadiens don’t have a savory first-round pick like Buffalo or San Jose do. That situation makes it harder for the Habs to compete.

Assuming the Habs can’t come up with the pieces to land Knies, the race could come down to whoever can offer the second or fourth-overall pick. And if the Maple Leafs land any one of those two picks, the outcome could be too much for the NHL to handle.

And it would make the Maple Leafs instant contenders this upcoming season.