The ' offseason trade rumor headlines will be highlighted by Auston Matthews. Don't forget about Matthew Knies, though. Teams around the NHL certainly aren't. In fact, one team might value Knies more than Matthews. "I had someone say to me who works for an NHL team, if we were trading right now, we'd give up more for Matthew Knies than for Auston Matthews," . Does that sound off base? Yeah, a decent bit. It's probably not the way everyone thinks. But beginning with Knies' contract, there probably are reasons to feel this way. MORE: Matthew Knies contract Compared to Matthews, Knies is in a great contract situation. He just began the first year of a six-year Dylan Floro Jersey deal. He'll be paid $7.75 million in each year of his deal that runs through the 2030-31 season. Considering that Knies is just 23 years old, everything about that sounds good for an acquiring team. It would make his trade cost high, but it would also make the po sible return on investment a long-lasting one. Knies also has a lot of ways to be succe sful as a physical 6-foot-3, 231-pound winger. MORE: Matthews, on the other hand, has two years left on his deal. Anyone trading for him will have to consider whether it's worth pursuing a contract extension with him beyond the 2027-28 season, or whether it's simply a pickup for two seasons. The Leafs have been led by Matthews for years, and he's the captain, but Knies has some desirable traits that certainly give him strong trade value, too. More NHL news: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Jersey