The Toronto Maple Leafs’ decision to trade Matthew Knies right before the 2026-27 NHL season began brought with it some potentially interesting consequences.
The main one is this: With no time for the deal to the Columbus Blue Jackets to settle, it’ll be possible to react immediately to everything Knies does with his new team and use it as a judgment against the deal.
Even if Kirill Marchenko is great for the Leafs, it almost doesn’t work the same way in the other direction. Fanbases are really good at wondering what might’ve been, even if something impressive is right in front of them.
And given that Knies had a breakout performance right away for the Blue Jackets, it’s clear that he might make Leafs fans miss him in a hurry.
“It would be fair to say the reaction to the Matthew Knies-Kirill Marchenko trade in Toronto was mixed,” Sportsnet’s Michael Amato wrote on Sunday. “Most Maple Leafs fans were excited to get a player of Marchenko’s caliber, but were puzzled as to why Knies’ name constantly surfaced in trade rumors through two management regimes. Knies is still just 23 years of age, on a very friendly long-term contract and has a unique skill set that’s hard to find around the league. That skill set was on full display in Knies’ first game with the Columbus Blue Jackets, as the rugged forward scored twice and added an assist during an opening-night win. It’s the kind of game-changing talent that could make the Leafs regret this trade someday.”
But should they regret it now?
Potential Matthew Knies Regrets
Part of what Amato wrote above was with the idea of trying to measure whether Knies trade regrets were an overreaction or not.
He deems that at least for now, it’s overreacting to regret the Leafs trading Knies away.
It’s just so early.
“One stellar game from Knies shouldn’t define this trade, and Marchenko is already building chemistry with Auston Matthews that should only continue to grow over time,” Amato writes. “If those two can form a solid duo that helps the Leafs secure Matthews to a long-term extension, that alone will make the trade a win. The only reason Toronto would regret this trade is if a center or top defenseman comes available where they could’ve used Knies as their biggest trade chip. Those players rarely become an option via a trade or free agency, so upgrading the group with Marchenko today was still a shrewd move. Hindsight is 20/20, and there’s always a chance a trade could not pan out, but Toronto’s logic with the Knies trade here was sound.”
It is an interesting point there that a Knies deal would be more regrettable if the Leafs aren’t able to get a different player because they already traded Knies away.
That approach makes it less about how Knies plays in Columbus than about any future Toronto needs.
Those are future problems, though, and the Maple Leafs did what they thought was right for the present.
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.
Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies Regret Comes Into Focus