Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly like one minute away from completing a huge trade that would've actually sent Matthew Knies to the Montreal Canadiens, ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. NHL insiders David Pagnotta and Elliotte Friedman state that both sides had basically agreed on a framework with prospects and draft picks, but the paperwork was submitted after the league's 3 p.m. deadline. The stunning revelation has sparked more chatter about Knies' future in Toronto and how close one of the biggest trades of the season came to turning into reality.  

How Close Did Matthew Knies Come to Joining the Montreal Canadiens 

Speaking on the latest edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman confirmed Pagnotta's report that Toronto and Montreal had already worked through the core of an agreement that was centered around Knies, before that March trade deadline.

As per Friedman the package would have sent the 23-year-old forward to Montreal, in exchange for the top prospect Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect and two first-round draft picks. Still, the paperwork reportedly reached the league at 3:01 p.m. ET one minute after the real trade deadline had passed. 

Friedman explained the trade got entered at 3:01 p.m., which left it one minute too late to be processed. While he said there were different accounts about why the delay happened, in the end the outcome stayed identical. The transaction was never completed.

How One Minute Changed Matthew Knies Future with the Toronto Maple Leafs

That deal falling apart turned out to be sort of important for both organizations. Matthew Knies is still a big part of Toronto's roster and he's signed through the 2030-31 season, with that $7.75 million annual cap hit. The 23-year-old recorded a career-best 66 points this season and is still being treated as a crucial piece of the club's future. 

Friedman also mentioned that the trade probably won't be revisited this offseason. With John Chayka replacing Brad Treliving as Toronto's general manager, the circumstances that led to the initial talks have changed significantly.

For Montreal, the possibility of bringing in a young power forward thing felt very appealing as the Canadiens kept assembling around their budding core. But then a delay like 60 seconds, just 60, somehow ended up stopping one of the more surprising moves of the season from becoming fully official.