Matthew Knies isn’t hiding how he feels about the trade that sent him from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko.
In a new interview with NHL Media, the former Leafs forward made it clear he wanted to stay in Toronto, and he didn’t sound like a player who saw the move coming. Knies said the decision felt bigger than him, framing it as part of a wider shake-up in Toronto.
“I felt like it could happen to anyone, really. I think in Toronto, they needed some turnover and needed to make some changes, and I was a part of that. It came as a bit of a shock.
I was obviously upset to leave those guys. I was with them for three years, so it sucks to leave that group.”
That’s about as honest as it gets. Knies wasn’t just surprised - he was disappointed to leave a group he’d spent three seasons with, even if the business side of the sport eventually won out.
The deal itself still feels too fresh to judge properly. Knies and Marchenko haven’t had enough time in their new situations for anyone to declare a winner with certainty. But the trade already carries a strange energy for Toronto, especially with Knies gone after becoming such an important part of the Leafs over the last three seasons.
Knies did at least make an immediate splash in his first game with Columbus, finishing with two goals and an assist.
Marchenko, meanwhile, is the player Toronto is now waiting to evaluate, as he adjusts to life on the top line with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic. For now, it’s all about seeing how the pieces fit.
The real verdict won’t come right away. It could take a few years before the Leafs know whether this was a smart reset or a deal that leaves them wondering what they gave up.
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