Leafs’ Knies Trade Talk Hit the Same Wall as Every Other Plan

The Maple Leafs had a path they wanted to test, and it ran straight into the kind of obstacle that usually ends these talks before they ever get serious. This is the part of trade season that fans never see - the calls, the asks, and the reality check when a team decides a player is more valuable in its own sweater. The reason this one did not get over the finish line says plenty about how Toronto is valuing its pieces right now.