Matthew Knies has never worn an NHL jersey besides that of the Toronto Maple Leafs in a regular season game.
That changes on Thursday night in Columbus when he suits up for the Blue Jackets.
Knies was the centerpiece of the trade on Monday that sent Kirill Marchenko to Toronto.
It felt like a great return for the Blue Jackets, centered around the young and affordable Knies, who is one of the rising stars among power forwards in the NHL.
The Maple Leafs have actually already played twice since the trade, but Columbus has had to wait. Their season opener is on Thursday night at home against the talented Buffalo Sabres.
Knies hasn’t had too long to get to know his teammates, but it’s looking like he’ll have a prominent role right from the opener.
Matthew Knies Line
Knies is slated to open immediately on the top line for the Blue Jackets.
In every media viewing of Columbus since he’s shown up, that’s where Knies has been.
That top line is centered by Adam Fantilli, who recently signed a big new extension.
The other wing for Columbus on the top line shapes up to be Kent Johnson.
#CBJ lines/pairs today:
Knies-Fantilli-Johnson
Nichushkin-Monahan-Garland
Sillinger-Coyle-Olivier
Lomberg-Heinen/LDBB-VoronkovWerenski-Mateychuk
Christiansen-Gudbranson
Soucy-Andrae— Dylan Tyrer (@DylanTyrer) September 30, 2026
The Blue Jackets could certainly shuffle things around as the season goes on, but it does feel like the Knies and Fantilli combination is here to stay. Those are the two players Columbus will look to build around moving forward, and there’s no reason to split them up at any point.
The Blue Jackets wouldn’t have made the Marchenko trade if they weren’t total believers in Knies, and Thursday night will be his first chance to start paying that off.
When Do Blue Jackets Play Maple Leafs?
One particularly intriguing piece of the season ahead now will become games between the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs — Knies and Marchenko (and others) will get to square off against their old squad.
They won’t have to wait too long for that to happen.
On Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET, Columbus will host Toronto.
The first return trip is on Nov. 21, when the Leafs host the Jackets at 7 p.m. ET.
They’ll meet again in Toronto on Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
At least for fans hoping to see these guys match up against each other on opposite sides, the main key will be that they stay healthy in the meantime.
Knies certainly has the potential for a big year in Columbus, and he could follow a bit in the footsteps of Mitch Marner, who left the Leafs for the Golden Knights a year ago and then had a splendid season in his new digs.
It all starts Thursday night for Knies when the Blue Jackets host the Sabres.
Blue Jackets’ Matthew Knies Plans Revealed After Maple Leafs Trade