Matthew Knies makes his feelings known about "nerve wrecking" NHL trade deadline

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies found the NHL trade deadline stressful.

He wanted to stay with the team but knew that it was out of his control.

“A little nerve-wracking. I wanted to stay here and be a part of this group,” Knies said. “But I tried not to focus on it. It’s out of my control, so I let them handle their business. Fortunately, I’m still here and just excited.”

Knies found his name in the rumors when the Carolina Hurricanes tried to discuss a trade package for forward Mikko Rantanen, which included him. However, Bruins general manager Brad Treliving decided that Knies was too valuable to trade.

“He’s sort of grown right in front of our eyes. He's a big part of our team now. And he's a unique player; that's a big, strong man at 22 years old. Developing different parts of his game, you see what he's done in the power play from that front," Treliving said (via thehockeynews.com).

"Developing an edge to his game; he added the element the other night into his game. You can see a power forward developing right in front of us.”

Rantanen was eventually traded to the Dallas Stars. Before the deadline, the Maple Leafs also added forward Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins. These trades helped fill the team’s biggest needs: a third-line center and defensive depth.

Matthew Knies has been a key player for Toronto this season. In 60 games, he has scored 24 goals and recorded 19 assists. He averages over 18 minutes of ice time per game. On Jan. 4, he scored his first NHL hat-trick in a win against the Boston Bruins.

The Maple Leafs are in a close race for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. They have a 39-22-3 record, just behind Florida. Every game is important as the playoffs get closer.

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Matthew Knies has found his spot in the Maple Leafs' top line

Matthew Knies plays on the Toronto Maple Leafs' top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. He has improved this season and plays a physical game, using his size (1.91 meters) to his advantage.

Coach Craig Berube trusts him in all situations. He plays on the power play, kills penalties and faces top opponents.

"Offensive. And defensive. He’s become a really good penalty killer for us. His growth as a player is all around … offensively he’s come out of his shell, but he’s become a real good 200-foot player," Berube said (per Yard Barker).

This season, Matthew Knies' ice time has increased to 18:25 minutes per game.