On the eve of the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets needed to make some moves to feel more comfortable against the salary cap, and they didn’t do it subtly.
They pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that centered around bringing Matthew Knies to town while dealing away Kirill Marchenko.
The deal got a lot of immediate attention in that opening week of the season, but things already seem to have chilled out while the new campaign settles into its own rhythm.
Still, it’s interesting to consider what each star winger is doing in their new home.
For fans in Columbus who got used to Marchenko’s consistent production, this is a look at what he’s now doing in Toronto.
How Kirill Marchenko Is Doing Since Blue Jackets Trade
Marchenko is off to a high-quality start with the Maple Leafs.
He has notched six points through seven games, and he’s done it in steady fashion — he has six different games with one point.
Marchenko has scored just one goal, finding the back of the net on Oct. 3 when the Leafs hosted the Ottawa Senators.
He has also dished out five assists, starting to form good chemistry with some of the Maple Leafs’ other high-end forwards.
Marchenko has nine hits, which is surprisingly a higher level of physicality than Knies has brought to the Blue Jackets so far, and he has fired 17 shots on goal — his early-season shooting percentage actually suggests he should have another goal or two when compared to his career norm in that stat.
It’s early, but Marchenko seems to be fitting in with the Maple Leafs.
How Matthew Knies Is Playing With Blue Jackets
Knies has overall been a key piece of the Blue Jackets so far as they have begun the season 2-3.
He got off to a blistering start when he scored two goals and dished out an assist in their season-opening 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Knies then had an assist the next time out when the Blue Jackets lost to the Mammoth.
It has been a quick downturn of late, though, as Knies has gone three games in a row without a point, including Tuesday night’s 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The one big oddity for Knies so far has been his lack of hits. He averaged nearly two hits per game over the past couple seasons for the Maple Leafs, but so far this season, he has just three hits through five games.
If Knies can settle in and start hitting people, maybe that will steady his play on the offensive end of the ice, as well, to get him back on a roll for Columbus.
Here’s How Kirill Marchenko Is Doing Since Blue Jackets Trade