James Nichols
A perfect New Jersey Devils trade partner this summer very well could be the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The parallels between New Jersey and Toronto in terms of how the 2025-26 season are certainly interesting. Each team failed mightily this season, although perhaps for different reasons. Both were touted to be playoff threats, yet sit on the outside of the playoff picture and are headed for an early summer.
At the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, the Maple Leafs reportedly made Matthew Knies available via trade. He ultimately remained in Toronto.
Yet, Elliotte Friedman reported the Devils were among a handful of suitors with “serious interest” in acquiring the Arizona-born power forward.
So, what could a trade for Knies this summer look like?
Knies’ Appeal
Knies is a former second-round pick by the Maple Leafs that developed his game at the NCAA level with the University of Minnesota.
While there, he established himself as a power-forward that is a regular scoring threat. His off-puck awareness then was evidently high, moving to open ice after passing pff the puck to try and put himself in scoring position. Otherwise, he wins net-front battles to deposit loose pucks.
That saw Knies improve from his 15-goal freshman season to a 21-goal sophomore season, and scoring at a point per-game pace or more in both seasons.
Knies carried that kind of prowess with him to the NHL.
In the 2024-25 season, his second as a full-time NHL forward, Knies scored 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games. He added five goals and seven points in the 2025 postseason for Toronto in 13 games.
This season, Knies has been battling a knee injury, but is still on pace to eclipse his 58 point career high with 18 goals and 39 assists thus far.
It’s a bit of a step back in the goals department, but with Toronto’s systemic issues and his injury, it’s easy to see why Knies is amid a down season.
At 23 years old, Knies is the perfect complimentary top-six forward that works well alongside stars, presumably slotting in next to Jack Hughes, like he does Auston Matthews, if he were to play in New Jersey.
Knies Devils Trade Proposal
There’s a reason why Simon Nemec‘s name came up in Devils trade discussions at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. New Jersey is in the market for an impact forward, and have a plthora of defensemen to deal from a position of strength.
Is Nemec enough to reel in Knies alone?
You have to go back to 2022 to find a similar trade in which a young right-handed defenseman with a high ceiling was dealt.
The Los Angeles Kings sent Brock Faber and a first round pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Kevin Fiala, who finished the 2021-22 season with 33 goals and 85 points in 82 games for Minny.
If the Devils are serious about Knies, that’s about what it could cost to bring in Knies, accounting for the cost of inflation four years later, and Knies’ ceiling.
Nemec is a bit more established in the NHL as opposed to when Faber was dealt. Although, Nemec is still a bit of an unknown. His ceiling remains high, but he has yet to regularly play in top-pair minutes in the NHL.
Still, right-handed defenseman are coveted. As a young 22-year-old who has regitered 10 goals in third pair minutes for the Devils this season, there’s plenty of intrigue from a Maple Leafs perspective.
Perhaps the Maple Leafs would be interested in a Dawson Mercer trade package instead. Maybe one that includes Seamus Casey and a the Devils’ 2026 first round pick. It’s unlikely Dougie Hamilton is involved in this kind of a trade.
However, Nemec would immediately move up Toronto’s depth chart on the blueline as opposed to New Jersey’s where he faces obstacles. He’s the most appealing asset the Devils can offer them.
And Knies is an immediate top-six fixture, one the Devils have longed for alongside Hughes and Jesper Bratt.
Could a Devils trade with the Maple Leafs come to fruition this summer? Perhaps at the 2026 NHL Draft? Neither team wants to move their players for the sake of it. They’re looking to make a hockey trade, and they very well could be perfect partners.
