Blackhawks’ potential Matthew Knies trade might not be dead just yet

The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off a stunner of a move on Tuesday night, trading the No. 4 overall pick, a second-rounder and defenseman Louis Crevier to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway.

The instant reaction to the deal has certainly not favored the Blackhawks, as they passed on the opportunity to possibly draft Ivar Stenberg — a tremendous potential linemate for Connor Bedard — to secure their blue line.

General manager Kyle Davidson made it clear from the outset this offseason that he wanted to find a strong defenseman, and while he did find it in Byram, he paid an incredibly steep price to acquire it.

The good news is that Chicago still has plenty of assets, including a pair of second-round draft picks this year, three 2027 first-rounders and more young talent. Theoretically, the Blackhawks could swing another blockbuster trade, and many were speculating about Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies being a possibility for the squad.

Could Chicago still swing a deal for Knies even after the Byram blockbuster? Tab Bamford of Bleacher Nation wonders if there is still a chance.

Chicago Blackhawks could still make a push for Matthew Knies

While Bamford acknowledges that a Knies trade is now less likely with the No. 4 pick no longer in play, he isn’t entirely ruling it out.

“Obviously we know now that the No. 4 pick isn’t going to Toronto for Knies. I wonder if there is still a conversation to be had with other Blackhawks assets around Knies. There certainly isn’t a home run asset for the Leafs to acquire in the deal any longer… unless it’s a more significant player on the Blackhawks’ payroll,” Bamford wrote.

Knies would represent a perfect partner alongside Bedard up front. He scored 23 goals while tallying 43 assists this past season, and in 2024-25, he managed 29 goals and 29 dimes.

The 23-year-old was selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and made his debut the following season, but only played in three games. He began receiving more extensive playing time in 2023-24, when he finished with 15 scores and 20 assists in 8o contests.

So, why would Toronto trade Knies? The Maple Leafs seem likely to select fellow winger Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, so they may wish to capitalize on Knies’ value now while he is still very young and under team control.

But do the Blackhawks actually have enough to swing a trade for Knies at this point? We’re about to find out.

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