Canadiens Nearly Acquired Matthew Knies At Deadline
Around the trade deadline, it was reported that the Montreal Canadiens had completed a significant trade with an unidentified team; however, the other team was unable to file the trade by the 3 pm ET deadline. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the trade partner is now known, with the outlet reporting the Canadiens and Maple Leafs had agreed to a trade for Matthew Knies back in March.
Pagnotta had the details on the proposed return package, too. The Canadiens were prepared to send Alexander Zharovsky, who recently won Rookie of the Year in the KHL, another top prospect, and two first-round selections to the Maple Leafs. It has been confirmed that neither Michael Hage nor David Reinbacher was the other prospect in the deal.
Had the trade been completed, it would have sent ripples around the league. For one, although he had been involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, it’s relatively shocking that the Maple Leafs would actually entertain trading Knies, and not building around him. He’s only 23 years old, is signed long-term, and has had two consecutive productive years with Toronto.
Furthermore, given Montreal’s lack of scoring depth became their Achilles heel in the Eastern Conference Final, Knies certainly would have changed their outlook. The Canadiens boast one of the best first lines in the league; however, their lack of a strong second line turned them into a one-dimensional team, and the Hurricanes dispatched them easily.
Having Knies, a young winger who has scored 52 goals and recorded 124 points in 157 games for the Maple Leafs over the past two years, would have provided Montreal with a significant asset to place alongside Ivan Demidov. Additionally, Knies was relatively productive in Toronto’s playoff run last year, scoring five goals and seven points in 13 games, while also delivering 31 hits.
While trade talks may potentially resume this summer, it is unlikely that they will do so. Brad Treliving, the Maple Leafs’ General Manager at the time, agreed to that trade. The Maple Leafs have since transitioned to a different regime under John Chayka.
Chayka has a mandate to keep captain Auston Matthews happy, or risk him asking for a trade out of town if Chayka can’t turn the team around. Trading Knies away for futures wouldn’t be conducive to that goal.
While it’s unlikely that the Canadiens will be able to pursue Knies this summer, it is clear that the team intends to be aggressive in reaching their next competitive stage. Given that they’re willing to trade with divisional opponents, Montreal may already be in touch with the Detroit Red Wings about their captain, Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade from the team earlier today.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski of Imagn Images.
Maple Leafs Interview Dallas Eakins For Head Coaching Vacancy
The Toronto Maple Leafs interviewed former Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins earlier this week, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
Toronto’s new hockey operations leadership – GM John Chayka and executive advisor Mats Sundin – appear to have zeroed in on coaches with previous head coaching experience in this stage of their coaching search.
Yesterday, we covered reports indicating that the Maple Leafs entered the interview stage with former New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy, and former New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette. 
Like Roy and Laviolette, Eakins would bring experience as an NHL head coach at multiple stops if he were to be hired as head coach in Toronto. Eakins is currently the head coach and sporting director of Adler Mannheim, a club in the DEL, the top division of professional hockey in Germany.
He has been in the role since the 2023-24 season. Mannheim have made steady progress under Eakins’ leadership. They lost in the DEL quarterfinals in his debut campaign, the semifinals in his second season there, and the DEL finals in 2025-26. One of Eakins’ top players in Mannheim, two-time DEL Defenseman of the Year Nicolas Mattinen, is a former member of the Maple Leafs organization.
Before he left to begin his career in European pro hockey, Eakins had a lengthy career as a coach in North America. It began just a season removed from the end of his playing career in 2005-06, as an AHL assistant coach for the Toronto Marlies on the staff of future Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. Maurice was promoted to the head coaching job in Toronto for 2006-07, and Eakins followed him to the NHL.
After two years as an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs, Eakins returned to the AHL. He served as head coach of the Marlies from 2009-10 through 2012-13, reaching the Calder Cup Final in 2012. Eakins’ success in Toronto earned him his first shot to become an NHL head coach, hired for the 2013-14 season by the Oilers. But the early 2010s Oilers were not an easy place for a young coach to begin his career, and Eakins was fired 31 games into his second season with the club. Across approximately one and a half seasons in Edmonton, Eakins’ Oilers went 36-63-14.
Eakins returned to the AHL for what would become a four-year stint with the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. Eakins’ Gulls posted a winning record in every season he coached, making runs in the playoffs in three of four campaigns. Once again, Eakins’ success as an AHL coach – in terms of both winning games and developing players – earned him another NHL head coaching job.
But just like in Edmonton, Eakins joined a Ducks organization lacking the kind of talent to make a serious push for playoff contention. Eakins coached in Anaheim during the bulk of the early portion of the Ducks’ rebuild, going 100-147-44 in his four seasons there.
While Eakins was an NHL head coach for 404 games, he has not had the chance to coach a team in a true contention phase. That could change if he receives the job in Toronto.
While the Maple Leafs endured a nightmarish 2025-26 season, the organization intends on returning to contention very quickly. Chayka has indicated the club believes it can make the necessary changes to return to the playoffs quickly – and their ability to retain star center Auston Matthews may depend on the front office delivering on that belief.
While Eakins doesn’t have a playoff track record in the NHL to this point, he’s put together an impressive resume at the AHL level and over the past three years in Germany. He also has experience in the ever-demanding Toronto market, which can be a factor working to his benefit.
If he’s hired in Toronto, the hope will be that the level of talent the Maple Leafs have to will allow him to reach greater heights compared to what he had access to in Anaheim or Edmonton.
Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports
Maple Leafs Interested In Vincent Trocheck
After the news that center Max Domi would be out indefinitely after offseason surgery, the Toronto Maple Leafs have already begun perusing the trade market for a second-line center. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the Maple Leafs have reached out to the New York Rangers to gauge the price for Vincent Trocheck.
It’s a peculiar idea for a few reasons. Toronto finished 28th in the league after a disastrous 2025-26 season, and many believed they would undergo a brief retool instead of simply running the team back with outside additions. Secondly, of all the needs that the Maple Leafs have, center isn’t one of them.
Although the Maple Leafs finished the year with Domi as their second-line center, that was only because captain Auston Matthews underwent surgery to repair a torn MCL. Considering a 12-week recovery timeline in March, it’s certain that Matthews will begin the 2026-27 season on schedule. Additionally, once Matthews does return, veteran John Tavares is expected to resume his role as Toronto’s second-line center.
Still, there’s no question why the Maple Leafs, or any other team for that matter, would be interested in Trocheck. He’s locked in for three more years at an affordable $5.625MM salary and is coming off another productive season in which he scored 16 goals and 53 points in 67 games with a 56.9% faceoff percentage.
Regardless, despite making Trocheck available at the trade deadline and planning to do so again this summer, General Manager Chris Drury remains firm in his asking price. It’s well known that New York wants a young NHL-caliber player, plus additional assets, for Trocheck.
Ideally, among all the players on the Maple Leafs, the Rangers would likely target Matthew Knies as a return package. At this point, that doesn’t seem like something Toronto would entertain, nor should they.
Theoretically, the Maple Leafs could package forward Nicholas Robertson, prospect defenseman Ben Danford, and Colorado’s conditional first-round pick in 2027, along with additional assets. However, even if New York were interested in such a trade, it would only provide short-term gains for Toronto and wouldn’t position them as favorites for the Stanley Cup. This approach would involve further mortgaging of their future.
If new General Manager John Chayka is intent on getting the Maple Leafs back to postseason contention next season, their main targets should be on defense. Toronto had the most shots against of any team this year by a wide margin, and it’s beyond clear that their defensive corps is not up to par.
Given that Danford is widely considered NHL-ready, and assuming they want to be aggressive, Toronto should allow him to crack the opening night roster and package additional assets for another defenseman or two.
Roy and Laviolette Enter Maple Leafs Head Coach Interview Process
The Toronto Maple Leafs are widening the net in their high-stakes coaching search, adding significant championship pedigree to the mix. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the process is heating up this week, with sources confirming that veteran bench bosses Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette have entered the interview stage.
With the additions of both names, the Toronto General Manager John Chayka is prioritizing experienced, commanding voices capable of navigating the relentless pressure of the Toronto market. After failing to push past organizational roadblocks in the postseason, management appears focused on hiring a motivator who can instill defensive structure and accountability into a star-studded roster.
Roy is possibly the most polarizing and fascinating option on the board. The Hall of Fame goaltender and Jack Adams Award winner is famous for his fiery competitive drive and intense demeanor. Since the 2023-24 season, Roy has proven he could still connect with modern NHL rosters, executing an impressive mid-season turnaround with the New York Islanders. His aggressive, emotion-driven coaching style could provide the exact culture shock the Maple Leafs’ core needs to finally break through their playoff ceiling.
On the other end of the spectrum, Laviolette, a proven tactician who ranks among the winningest American-born coaches in NHL history. Laviolette brings a resume of proven success having guided three different franchises—the Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators—to Stanley Cup Final appearances, capturing the Cup with Carolina. Laviolette is known for implementing aggressive, up-tempo neutral zone systems and demanding strict physical conditioning. He is a head coach that offers a structured, stable blueprint for immediate success.
By interviewing both of these veteran head coaches, the Maple Leafs are clearly not rushing into a lateral hiring decision. They are hunting for a definitive identity shift and searching for the right fit. The Maple Leaf front office is thoroughly evaluating which brand of leadership will maximize the championship window of this core group.
Multiple Players Have NHL Draft Rights Expire
According to PuckPedia, multiple prospects had their draft rights expire at the deadline today, meaning they’ll re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft or become unrestricted free agents.
Two distinct groups are impacted by this deadline. Prospects playing in the Canadian Major Junior leagues (OHL, QMJHL, or WHL) or those playing in Europe.
Of those players from the CHL who have played through their age-20 seasons, they’ll re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft, or become unrestricted free agents if they go undrafted. For the European players, they’ll become unrestricted free agents, though many typically stay in Europe to continue their professional careers.
The only other prospect whose draft rights expired, and didn’t meet either of the above requirements, was Toronto Maple Leafs 2025 draftee Matthew Hlacar. Hlacar was taken with the 217th overall pick of last year’s draft, and scored six goals and 12 points in 51 games for the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers this season. Toronto didn’t issue him a bona fide offer, which is simply tendering the player a league-minimum, entry-level deal to extend their signing rights.
The remaining prospects who will re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft or become UFAs are as follows:
D Ales Cech (Mammoth, 5-153, 2024)
D Simon Forsmark (Hurricanes, 4-101, 2022)
F Max Graham (Penguins, 5-139*, 2024)
F Petr Hauser (Oilers, 5-141**, 2022)
F Nils Juntorp (Hurricanes, 6-188***, 2022)
F Gustav Karlsson (Sabres, 6-187, 2022)
F Maximilian Kilpinen (Red Wings, 4-129, 2022)
D Kasper Kulonummi (Predators, 3-84, 2022)
F Hunter Laing (Flames, 6-170, 2024)
G Ryerson Leenders (Sabres, 7-219, 2024)
D Nathan Mayes (Maple Leafs, 7-225, 2024)
G Landon Miller (Red Wings, 4-126, 2024)
F Kaden Pitre (Lightning, 6-181, 2024)
F Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson (Sabres, 7-202, 2022)
F Santeri Sulku (Flyers, 7-197, 2022)
D Albin Sundin (Oilers, 6-183, 2024)
F Riku Tohila (Blackhawks, 7-199, 2022)
G Jakub Vondras (Hurricanes, 6-171, 2022)
* Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils; traded to the Penguins in March 2025.
** Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils; traded to the Oilers in March 2025.
*** Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks; traded to the Hurricanes in January 2025.
Maple Leafs Hire Judd Brackett, Freddie Hamilton
The Minnesota Wild will lose a core piece of their scouting room before the NHL Draft. Director of Amateur Scouting Judd Brackett has left the club for an assistant general manager position with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The news was originally reported by Michael Russo of The Athletic. Brackett was previously granted permission to speak with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding an assistant general manager position per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Brackett has built a strong reputation across USA Hockey – one honed since his move to the Minnesota Wild in 2020. He holds a strong voice in the Wild’s draft and prospect development conversations and played a role in the team’s connection to promising draft picks like Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, and Adam Benak.
Before his time with the Wild, Brackett spent seven seasons as an amateur scout and five seasons as Director of Amateur Scouting with the Vancouver Canucks. He was, again, a strong voice in the rooms that drafted Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko. Brackett was also a strong advocate for the 2019 U.S. National Team Development Program that produced Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, and Trevor Zegras – though none found a home in Vancouver.
His accolades with USA Hockey extend beyond recognizing strong, NTDP talent. He was a scout for Team USA’s 2024, 2025, and 2026 World Junior Championship rosters. The Americans won Gold in two of those tournaments but fell to Finland in the quarterfinals this year. He also won a QMJHL championship in 2008 and two USHL Clark Cups in 2009 and 2014.
A step up in the hierarchy seems well-timed on the other side of Brackett’s sixth year with the Wild. His insight could be the final push needed to encourage Toronto to draft perennial star Gavin McKenna, or begin honing in coverage of a loaded 2027 draft class.
The Maple Leafs have also hired Freddie Hamilton as their Chief of Staff. Hamilton, the brother of New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton, earned his MBA from Yale University and began a career in private equity following the end of his playing career in 2018. The former San Jose Sharks draft pick will now turn his focus back to hockey in a role that will support Toronto’s strategic initiatives and alignment within the hockey operations department. Hamilton totaled 75 games and six points in his NHL career, spanning tenures with the Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Arizona Coyotes.
Maple Leafs Notes: Coaching Search, Nylander, Cowan
While it remains unclear which external head coaching candidates Maple Leafs GM John Chayka has spoken with so far, it appears there are a pair of internal options for the position as well. In a recent appearance on The FAN Hockey Show (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Derek Lalonde has been interviewed for the job while he believes that Mike Van Ryn has also been interviewed. Lalonde spent parts of three seasons running the bench in Detroit from 2022-23 through 2024-25, leading the team to an 89-86-23 record. On the other hand, Van Ryn’s head coaching experience is rather limited, just 2015-16 with OHL Kitchener and 2017-18 with AHL Tucson, making him a less likely candidate for the role. There remains no timeline in place for when Toronto might hire their next bench boss but they’d likely want the hire in place before next month’s draft.
More from the Maple Leafs:
- At a time when there has been plenty of speculation of how Toronto could shake up its roster, winger William Nylander made it clear in a video on his YouTube channel earlier this week that he has no desire to leave. The 30-year-old has spent 11 seasons with the Maple Leafs already and has six years left on his contract, one that carries an AAV of $11.5MM and has full trade protection. Nylander is coming off a career year in terms of points per game as his mark of 1.22 was a personal best, although he missed 17 games due to injury. Barring the team embarking on a longer-term rebuild, it’s hard to see a scenario where Nylander is asked to consider waiving his trade protection but the veteran has made his intentions clear preemptively.
- Winger Easton Cowan wasn’t in the lineup on Friday as the Marlies continue their playoff run in the minors. Speaking postgame, head coach Jon Gruden indicated to reporters including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun that the rookie is dealing with an upper-body injury. It’s more of a maintenance thing but his status for Monday’s game is uncertain. Cowan sits ninth in AHL playoff scoring with five goals and four assists in 14 contests.
Latest On Maple Leafs Head Coaching Search
A few days ago, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to interview Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Jay Woodcroft for their head coaching vacancy. In today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, not only did Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman throw cold water on Seravalli’s report, he extinguished it completely.
Friedman shared that there’s no expectation that Woodcroft will interview with the Maple Leafs, nor is there any expectation that they’ll ask permission to do so from the Ducks. Still, Friedman confirmed that Woodcroft has interviewed with the Los Angeles Kings for their head coaching vacancy.
At this point, the only other candidate connected to Toronto has been David Carle, the current head coach at the University of Denver. Given that he’s already coached the Pioneers to three National Championships and the United States to two gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship, there’s no question why the Maple Leafs would be targeting him.
Still, Carle has been hesitant to leave his situation just south of downtown Denver. Recent reports indicate that Carle is open to the idea of joining the Maple Leafs, but the two sides remain in the early stages of a potential hire. There is speculation that if the Colorado Avalanche part ways with Jared Bednar after a fourth consecutive playoff exit before the Stanley Cup Final, Carle would likely step in to take the role.
Other than that, there haven’t been many other candidates linked to Toronto. Bruce Cassidy, the former head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, has become a popular candidate on the West Coast, but hasn’t been linked to the Maple Leafs in any meaningful fashion. Furthermore, Kris Knoblauch, who was recently removed from his post as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, is in a similar situation.
Regardless, for several reasons, new General Manager John Chayka may be playing things extremely close to the vest regarding Toronto’s next head coach. That’s a challenging modus operandi to sustain in Toronto’s media market, but the Maple Leafs will continue to proceed carefully in any case.
Maple Leafs Notes: First Overall, Carle, Goaltending
As expected, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Chayka, is open to all offers on the first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Maple Leafs aren’t actively looking to move the top selection of this year’s draft, but would agree to move it if the offer blew them away.
Specifically, LeBrun said, “Not that the Maple Leafs are intent on moving the No. 1 pick, but new general manager John Chayka also isn’t hanging up the phone if and when teams call. Why would he? If a team steps up in a meaningful way with the kind of package that helps the Leafs get back in contention, Chayka will at least listen, according to league sources.”
Obviously, the package to acquire said pick would be so substantial that the odds of Toronto eventually moving the selection are near-zero. As David Alter of The Hockey News put it, “unless a team blows Chayka away with an offer that genuinely transforms the Leafs’ competitiveness for next season and beyond, it’s difficult to envision this pick leaving Toronto.”
Additional updates from the Maple Leafs:
- In a new report from Emily Kaplan of ESPN, the Maple Leafs are interested in David Carle, the current head coach at the University of Denver, for their head coaching vacancy. Additionally, Kaplan added that Carle is entertaining the idea, but he will remain as selective as he has in the past. Kaplan believes that if the Colorado Avalanche move on from Jared Bednar in the relatively near future, Carle might wait for that, given his connections to the area.
- There’s no question that the Maple Leafs have a surplus of netminders heading into next season. In a recent article from Andre Leal of The Hockey News, he considers the pros and cons of Toronto moving one of its netminders this offseason. The hardest to move would be Anthony Stolarz, who is coming off an injury-riddled campaign, signed through the next four seasons at a $3.75MM cap hit with a 16-team no-trade clause. However, Toronto may be able to peddle him to a goalie-needy team such as the Edmonton Oilers.
Maple Leafs Expected To Interview Jay Woodcroft
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to interview Jay Woodcroft for their head coaching position, reported by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. He added that Woodcroft spoke with the Kings last week as well, and based on such interest, the 49-year-old looks well on track to be back in charge of an NHL bench in 2026-27.