Matthew Knies Surprised by Blockbuster Trade

Matthew Knies was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a blockbuster trade for Kirill Marchenko.

Rumblings of the Maple Leafs’ winger being dealt to the Blue Jackets were beginning to spread across social media. Just hours earlier, Knies had been preparing to open another season in Toronto. Now, his future had suddenly shifted, with a trade to Columbus sending shockwaves through the hockey world.

“It’s all moving so fast right now,” Knies said. “I’m trying to wrap my head around all of it.”

The words come fast, much faster than they once did, when Knies could lean back in his dressing-room stall and talk as if he had all the time in the world. Not today. Another phone call comes in. Another reminder that his time here is over. He has to move on to a new team, a new city, and the next place he’ll play hockey.

With the NHL season just over 24 hours from its scheduled start, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a blockbuster move, sending forward Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Once viewed as a key piece of Toronto’s Stanley Cup aspirations, Knies is headed to Ohio along with defenseman Emil Andrae, forward Steven Lorentz, and a second-round draft pick. In return, the Leafs acquire star winger Kirill Marchenko, winger Miles Wood, and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.

Moving on from Knies’ physicality and scoring touch is GM John Chayka’s boldest trade since taking over in May. Knies is two years younger than Marchenko, while his cap hit over the next five seasons is far more manageable than Marchenko’s $12.5 million AAV on his six-year, $75 million extension he signed on Monday.

Knies Had Put Trade Rumors to Bed

Just a few days ago, Knies returned to his home state of Arizona with his teammates for a training-camp getaway. He was looking forward to some much-needed time with his teammates, and perhaps even a nap in his own bed. For Knies, it was supposed to be a chance to relax and reset.

Trade rumours had followed him into the summer after swirling around him at the trade deadline. Once training camp started, Knies had put the speculation to rest once and for all.

“Playing the first preseason game, it’s out of your mind,” Knies said on Sept. 21st. “I don’t think of (a trade) as a possibility anymore. I’m here now, they want me here, they kept me all summer for a reason.”

The reasons for retaining him were evident: Knies has thrived in Toronto. There was something inherently easy to cheer for about Knies’ rise. A late-blooming prospect emerging from a non-traditional hockey market and steadily proving he belonged. When the Maple Leafs selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft, Knies didn’t necessarily fit the profile that former GM Kyle Dubas was known to target.

However, Toronto’s scouting staff saw something different: a rare combination of size, strength, and power that separated Knies from the rest of the organization’s prospect pool. In other words, they saw a player who didn’t quite fit the mold, and that was precisely what made him so intriguing.