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The Toronto Maple Leafs could have snagged the top-10 pick they seek in a potential three-way deal involving Matthew Knies.
If there’s one thing that Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka deserves credit for is thinking outside the box.
Chayka has been working overtime in his first month in office, trying to upgrade the club as best he can. He’s already managed to snag one big fish in Darren Raddysh. But now, it seems that Chayka is looking to reel in other sizeable fish.
According to a recent post by insider Frank Seravalli, Chayka has been talking about the possibility of a three-way deal involving the Seattle Kraken and Dallas Stars. The purported deal would involve the seventh-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft going to Toronto, with the Stars getting Knies.
As I’ve reported, #Leafs are seeking another Top 10 pick in 2026 #NHLDraft.
Sources say Toronto and Dallas had talks about Stars potentially flipping No. 7 overall from #SeaKraken in a deal for Matthew Knies to help replace Jason Robertson.
All part of Thursday’s shrapnel.
Now, the deal is a bit complex as the Kraken reportedly offered a massive contract to Stars’ RFA Jason Robertson. The 26-year-old purportedly turned the offer down, leaving the Stars back to where they started.
Had the deal gone through, the Stars would have received the seventh-overall pick from Seattle. Dallas would have then flipped the pick to the Maple Leafs for Matthew Knies. As such, Knies would have become Robertson’s replacement.
Of course, there would have been other pieces involved. Likely, Seattle would have sent other elements which the Stars could have also used to entice Toronto to make the deal.
The Stars could have also included other pieces of their own in the deal. However, it seems the deal is likely going nowhere now that Robertson nixed the contract offer.
Had it gone through, nevertheless, it would have been a massive win for the Maple Leafs. Maybe it could still happen, but the conversation might just be down as another what-if.
Had the Maple Leafs landed the seventh-overall pick, the likelihood is that the organization would have targeted a defenseman. Tankathon projects Keaton Verhoeff going to the Kraken at No. 7.
That would have been a fine pick for the Maple Leafs. Adding Gavin McKenna and then a potential top-pairing defenseman like Verhoeff would be nothing to sneeze at. It’s worth pointing out that Verhoeff was considered the top pick for a while. However, he slipped a bit in draft rankings, eventually falling behind Chase Reid and Carson Carels.
Still, the Maple Leafs would have made away like bandits if they could have walked away with a high-end pick like Verhoeff.
What to read next:
Toronto’s efforts to land another first-rounder make sense. Of course, that would be a top-10 pick. The reasoning is that the Maple Leafs have two major holes to consider, particularly on the blue line.
The Maple Leafs’ 30+ defensive corps needs a serious injection of youth. To compound the issue, the Leafs don’t have any solid defensive prospects beyond Ben Danford. That’s why another top-10 pick, particularly in the, say, 5 to 9 range, would work wonders for the club.
Of course, a solution to that issue would be to land a high-end defenseman in a trade. But who knows how that would work out.
There is still time for the Maple Leafs to pull out a last-minute heart stopper before Friday’s first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. So, fans beware!
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL and NFL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor's singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor's fondness for baseball, football, and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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