Maple Leafs Improve After Acquiring Marchenko in Blockbuster Trade

Over the last few seasons, Marchenko has been very productive. He has 183 points in 233 games, which is good for a 0.79 point per game average. Over his career, he has 208 points and compare that to Knies’ 160 points, he has the edge in that department. Even last season, they posted very similar results and while both are similar players with their production, underneath the surface, it’s a different story and Marchenko has a clear advantage over Knies. Here’s a comparison between the two players over the last three season at five-on-five. 

Marchenko clearly has the edge in key goal departments. I added in medium danger goals, because Marchenko has the ability to generate and find the back of the net well from the medium areas of the ice. That conversion given the power behind his shot and ability to find the middle of the ice well makes him that much more dangerous than Knies, who does excel in front of the net. In addition, Marchenko excels off the rush.

The Maple Leafs looked to prove that they can be dangerous off the rush in the preseason. Given the speed element and success that Marchenko can bring, he can easily make them more of a threat and have defenders on their heels with his presence on the rush and to win battles in the offensive zone. This is something that can greatly benefit the Maple Leafs.

Moving Knies Made Sense

While Marchenko makes them a better team, moving Knies really does sting. As much as I wanted to keep him and not give up on a player that continues to show growth and promise, moving him has its reasons behind it.

With all the trade talk surrounding him, from axed last minute deadline deals and throughout the offseason, Knies didn’t have any trade protection which made him a prime candidate as a blue-chip piece in a trade. Taking advantage of that now before his value dipped made sense as they got a valuable piece in return. I’m not saying that Knies would regress because he can still be a valuable asset, but if a deal came further down the line and couldn’t regroup from his preseason struggles, that could’ve affected his value. 

The Maple Leafs had a good top-six option with Knies as a net front presence, power forward. However, the lack of speed and not being tough consistently at times proved to be a slight concern for him. Marchenko out matches him in 20- 22 mph speed bursts (273) as he ranks in the 99^th percentile, whereas Knies (95) ranks in the 70^th. While the production appears the same, Marchenko does have a lot more to offer given what lies underneath the surface. 

Final Thoughts

Losing a fan favourite in Knies isn’t ideal. He wanted to stay, signed a friendly deal and provided an element the team lacked for years. However, that’s what made him a highly sought after commodity on the trade market. Being moved for a more lethal, faster and top line offensive winger in Marchenko is some tidy piece of work for Chayka. He gave up an asset on his team but improved it in the process.