Once April rolls around, the Toronto Maple Leafs might look back and regret trading 23-year-old power forward, Matthew Knies.
Maple Leafs Could Regret Trading Matthew Knies
After Months of Rumours, Maple Leafs Trade Forward Matthew Knies
Knies, who was drafted in 2021, second round and 57th overall by the Leafs, has gone from scoring 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) as a rookie to 58 (29 goals, 29 assists) in his sophomore season to last year where in his third full season he enjoyed a career-best 66 (23 goals, 43 assists) point campaign.
The Leafs, who are looking to redeem themselves after a disappointing 78-point season, which had them missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017, were reportedly this off-season dangling Knies.
One rumour, which made the rounds on social media was that Knies last June was almost traded in a multi-player deal with the Montreal Canadiens.
Another of the many rumors was that Knies was almost shipped to the Chicago Blackhawks in a deal which would have included their 2026 4th overall draft pick.
Early in training camp, Leafs General Manager John Chayka was singing the praises of Knies and downplaying rumours while stressing how the root of those rumours came from the old Leafs regime consisting of former General Manager Brad Treliving.
Meanwhile, it seemed like Knies would be a Leaf for a long time as even the team’s best player in team captain Auston Matthews was singing his praises by stating to reporters at training camp, “For him, he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his ceiling. He’s going to continue to get better and better, and he works at it as well.”
Despite the praise from Matthews and Chayla downplaying the rumors, Knies tenure as a Leaf officially came to an end on September 28th when he along with forward Steve Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a conditional 2027 second-round pick went to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for power forward Kirill Marchenko, goalie Elvis Merzlikins who is currently injured, and left winger Miles Wood.
“With all that was out there, I think it was going to happen sometime in the future, but not this quickly,” Knies said. “Excited to go to Columbus. It was kind of getting old here with all those rumors and stuff, so glad that’s put to bed.”
Besides Montreal and Chicago, other teams rumored to have been involved in trade talks for Knies were the Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Utah Mammoth.
As a Leaf, Knies ended up playing 240 games where he scored 67 goals and produced 160 points along with racking up 119 PIM.
Knies Off to a Fast Start with Blue Jackets
Knies equalled a Blue Jackets franchise record, which came on Thursday, October 1st during a season-opening 6-3 win at home against the Buffalo Sabres.
In not wasting any time in endearing himself to the Nationwide Arena fanbase, Knies made a bold statement as his three points (two goals, one assist) in his debut game equalled the franchise mark set way back in 2017-18 when dynamic forward Artemi Panarin had three assists in his debut which came in a 5-0 win against the New York Islanders.
Not only did Knies tie this franchise mark, but he also became the first player to score two goals in their debut game as a Blue Jacket.
In this memorable game against Buffalo, Knies logged 16:06 of ice time where he also had four shots on goal. He could have had a hat trick but was stopped on a third-period breakaway by Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
“I’m happy for him,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “He’s had a lot thrown at him in the last couple days. Give him credit. He showed up tonight, ready to work and play, and that’s what we’re going to see from him all the time, right? That’s how he plays, a big, strong, heavy guy with soft hands. He made some good plays. You can’t define chemistry, but you can see it. And that line, after just one practice together, I think it’ll continue to grow.”
On Saturday, October 3rd at Nationwide Arena, Knies would produce an assist in a 4-1 loss against the Mammoth, which gives him four points, (two goals, two assists), five shots on goal, and a plus/minus of +1 after the season’s first two games.
Knies Was a 2023 Hobey Baker Award Finalist
Prior to starting his NHL career, Knies definitely showed that raw potential to be a solid power forward.
Playing for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, Knies made his mark in the Big Ten Conference, when during the 2021-22 campaign, he burst on the scene to lead all rookies with 10 goals along with 27 points in 29 games which earned him a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
The following season was a real breakout for Knies who playing on an explosive line with current NHLers Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud played a major role in helping Minnesota make it to the 2023 NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey tournament finals where they suffered heartbreak by losing in overtime against the Quinnipiac Bobcats.
In being recognized for his play, Knies was named as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. The other two finalists were Cooley and the University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli, who on the strength of a 65-point (30 goals, 35 assists) season won the prestigious award which goes to collegiate hockey’s best player.
Knies is definitely a power forward on the rise who once he hits his prime can be an impactful physical 40-plus-goal scorer.
The million-dollar question is, will this move of trading Knies eventually come back to haunt the Leafs?
Main Image: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
