The Chicago Blackhawks have been busy so far this offseason as they have made multiple trades early on in the summer. The big one occurred last week with the acquisition of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram. The expectation is that Chicago will not be done making moves ahead of next season as the pressure mounts to ice a winning team after years of rebuilding.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson decided it was worth moving their fourth overall pick in the 2026 draft plus additional assets to acquire immediate roster help from Buffalo. Reportedly, there were other options they considered when shopping this top pick.
Chicago Targeted Maple Leafs Matthew Knies
The other player Chicago was targeting when dangling their fourth pick was Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knies is a player that the Blackhawks have been closely eying for a long time as a potential option to play with Connor Bedard.
Via insider Frank Seravalli on the FAN Pregame: “Chicago was a team that had [4th overall] on the table in a conversation for Matt Knies, but the Leafs wanted a roster player plus plus on top of #4.”
As expensive as the Byram package wound up being for Chicago, this Knies return would have been even more pricy. The Blackhawks only had to give up a 2026 second round pick and Louis Crevier in addition to pick four in the Buffalo trade. The extra sweeteners for Knies would have been more costly.
In terms of what those pieces could have been, Toronto likely would have wanted at least one of Chicago’s top young players in return. Forwards Frank Nazar or Anton Frondell may have been the ask from Maple Leafs GM John Chayka. And even that may have not been enough; nothing short of a haul would have been enough for them to part from Knies.
Blackhawks Have to Look Elsewhere for Bedard Help
Chicago have tried multiple times to land Knies to no avail. It is time for them to pivot in another direction when it comes to the search for a top-line winger to play with Bedard.
In terms of who could be in play there, the Blackhawks are one of many teams that have checked in on the Dallas Stars Jason Robertson according to insider Pierre LeBrun. Robertson would be the ideal linemate for Bedard, but major sacrifices would have to be made. Not to mention, Robertson has been very selective with his preferred destinations as he and Dallas continue to go back and forth in contract talks. It is unknown if Chicago is a team that would interest him as he would need to come to terms on an extension.
If Robertson is not a realistic target, perhaps Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets could be considered by Chicago. Marchenko is currently being shopped by his team as he does not plan to extend with Columbus. Like Robertson, it is not clear if the Blackhawks are a team on Marchenko’s list. But, he would be a great addition to a Chicago forward core that desperately needs support.
Report: Blackhawks Tried to Acquire Toronto’s Matthew Knies