Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies shares honest feelings on trade rumors

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Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies shares honest feelings on trade rumors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Matthew Knies was all over the rumor mill as the March NHL trade deadline approached.

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't end up moving the talented winger, but it's not the kind of thing that escapes notice.

Knies knew there were rumors.

And on Thursday, with the Leafs' season now over, he was asked about them. Specifically, a reporter asked Knies if he was flattered by the reported high return it would've taken to trade for him.

Knies wasn't taking that bait.

“I wouldn’t want to look at it as a compliment, I’d look at it as a crappy thing," Knies said. "I don’t want to leave this group of guys… it doesn’t really matter what it was. I wouldn’t want to leave here.”

MORE: Maple Leafs' president brought AI trade pitches to deadline meetings

It does seem that, even as things crumbled for the Maple Leafs this season, they maintained some level of togetherness.

As part of his own exit interview on Thursday, captain Auston Matthews told reporters he wants to be "part of the solution" in Toronto.

These guys, even after a brutal campaign, don't seem in a rush to leave. They want to stick around and solve things. They want to stay with their buddies and bounce back.

Some players surely will be moved this offseason as the Maple Leafs try to freshen things up. But it seems they have a core who wants to be there. That will be important as they move forward.

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