Trade proposal sees Maple Leafs deal Matthew Knies for Swedish star

The Toronto Maple Leafs liked what they saw from Matthew Knies, who provided an instant impact upon his insertion into the lineup for Game 2 of what would be their eventually successful Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

However, Toronto's luck has turned backwards against the other National Hockey League team in the Sunshine State, as the Florida Panthers would eventually eliminate them in five games. What's worse, Knies was absent stating from midway through Game 2 after a controversial incident with Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who drove him into the boards and then tackled him to the ice. He didn't return to the series. 

In the meantime, Knies will almost certainly be making the roster for next season's team - or will he? Could he end up within a different organization? 

An interesting trade proposal via CapFriendly would see Knies dealt out west to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Elias Pettersson. 

Pettersson eclipsed the 100 point mark last season, scoring 39 goals with 63 assists and proving to be one of the few bright spots in what was a mostly dismal Canucks season. He's also entering the final year of his contract that sees him earn an AAV of $7,350,000. 

In order to accommodate this hypothetical deal, the Leafs would have to work on clearing out more current players, considering the fact that they're nearly $10 million over the current salary cap threshold.

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