Matthew Knies says he’s relieved to be done with the nonstop trade talk.
After the Toronto Maple Leafs sent Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday in a six-player deal centered on Kirill Marchenko, the winger said the move had started to feel unavoidable after months of speculation.
"With all that was out there, I think it was going to happen sometime in the future, but not this quickly," Knies told reporters Tuesday. "Excited to go to Columbus. It was kind of getting old here with all those rumors and stuff, so just glad that's put to bed."
The chatter around Knies had been building for a while. Toronto reportedly had a deal lined up to send him to the Montreal Canadiens at the 2026 trade deadline, but that agreement was submitted one minute too late. Before that, the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Utah Mammoth were also said to have shown serious interest.
Still, the latest decision came under a different front office. Those earlier rumors unfolded when Brad Treliving was running the Maple Leafs. John Chayka took over as general manager in May, and he said Tuesday that Marchenko was the only player Toronto seriously considered moving Knies for under the current regime.
"I apologized to (Knies) for the noise over the last several months," Chayka said. "I don't think it was necessarily fair to him.
This was the only thing we seriously considered as a management group. These things happen.
He understands."
Knies had been in Toronto his entire four-year career after the Maple Leafs drafted him in the second round in 2021. He signed a six-year, $46.5-million extension in June 2025, but with no trade protection, he became Toronto’s biggest chip.
The 24-year-old, who turns 24 in October, posted 124 points in 157 games over the last two seasons. Marchenko, who turned 26 in July, had 141 points in 155 games over that same stretch.
Even with the numbers close, Chayka made clear why Toronto wanted Marchenko. He pointed to the kind of player who can swing a game on his own.
"There's a lot of good players in the NHL, very few that can impact winning and can single-handedly dictate outcomes of games. We believe Kirill is one of those players for us," Chayka said. "You've got to give up quality to get quality."
Chayka also said the Maple Leafs are hoping Marchenko can be in the lineup for Tuesday’s season opener against the Montreal Canadiens, though immigration issues still have to be resolved. Columbus opens its season Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Face A Blue Line Decision Right Before The Opener
With opening night looming, the Blue Jackets are still sorting out the back end of their defense. Columbus has two roster spots open under the 23-man limit, and the need for another veteran blue-liner has become more pressing with injuries thinning the group and the depth chart still unsettled.
Carson Soucy has been in camp on a professional tryout agreement, giving the club a look at a 32-year-old unrestricted free agent with NHL experience on multiple teams. The timing is imperfect but obvious, since Columbus is trying to stabilize its defense before the opener and still has a key question hanging over one of its regulars. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Just Landed A Maple Leafs Piece Fans Will Debate
Matthew Knies is heading into a fresh start with the Blue Jackets after being sent over in a multi-player deal with the Maple Leafs, a move that immediately gives Columbus another name for fans to sort through. Knies sounded relieved and excited about the change, while also speaking warmly about his time in Toronto and the relationships he built there, which only adds to the sense that this was a significant shake-up on both sides.
For Columbus, the trade brings in a player with clear upside and a new opportunity to carve out a role in a different market, even as the details of the full exchange continue to shape how both fan bases judge it. The swap also changes the look of the roster around him in a meaningful way, making this one of those deals that will be debated not just for what it does now, but for what it says about where the Blue Jackets are trying to go next. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Just Made A Core-Shaking Kirill Marchenko Decision
A major reshuffling hit the Blue Jackets when Columbus moved winger Kirill Marchenko to Toronto in a trade that immediately changes the look of both teams. Marchenko is headed north with a verbal agreement already in place on a six-year extension, a sign the Maple Leafs see him as more than a short-term fix and as a significant part of what they want to build.
For Columbus, the deal is about much more than subtracting a winger who mattered to the roster. The return brings a mix of established NHL pieces, lineup depth and future value, giving the Blue Jackets a package that could reshape their depth chart and their longer-term plans all at once. Whether the trade ultimately pays off will depend on how those incoming pieces fit, but for now the move marks one of the more consequential decisions this core has faced. [Read more 🡒]