The Toronto Maple Leafs are only one week removed from trading Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko.
However, new information is emerging about Knies. In fact, if the Pittsburgh Penguins had their way, the Maple Leafs would never have drafted Knies in the first place.
Brian Burke Reveals Pittsburgh Penguins Interest in Matthew Knies
Former NHL GM Brian Burke recently appeared on The Sheet podcast. While on the podcast, he told the story of how the Penguins almost drafted Knies.
“He brings that power forward, go to the net, physicality, that you crave on a line like that with two skilled guys like Fantilli and Johnson,” Jeff Marek said in a clip circulating on social media. “It’s a marriage made in heaven, it looks like,” responded Burke.
“I really like Matthew Knies,” Burke continued. “I really like him as a player. We were going to draft him in Pittsburgh, you know. We took Tristan Broz, but we were going to take Knies, when right before Toronto took him.”
“At the draft I said to Hexy (Ron Hextall), ‘what are we doing,’ he said, ‘we’re going to take Knies.’ I told him to tell Chris Prior. Chris Prior told him to start filling out the slip. So (he) was typing in the name when they (Maple Leafs) took him.”
Things would look very different for both teams if the 2021 NHL Entry Draft had played out this way instead of how it actually happened.
In fact, the Penguins selected Broz 58th overall, while the Maple Leafs selected Knies one pick earlier, at 57th overall.
Looking At Matthew Knies Time With the Toronto Maple Leafs
Despite trading him recently, the Maple Leafs are better off having drafted and traded Knies than the alternative.
Last year was Knies’ most successful in the NHL. He recorded 23 goals, 43 assists, and 66 points in 79 games. The 23-year-old averaged 18:48 per game.
While with the organization, Knies signed a large extension: a six-year, $46.5 million contract.
Now, he will ply his trade with the Blue Jackets, where he has already collected four points in two games. Things will obviously slow down for him, but it should be an encouraging sign to the Blue Jackets to see him performing at such a high level.
As for the Maple Leafs, between Elvis Merzlikis returning from injury in the near future and Marchenko becoming Knies’ replacement, they should do just fine.
Maple Leafs Stole Matthew Knies From Penguins