One of the biggest questions surrounding the massive Kirill Marchenko trade by the Toronto Maple Leafs is why on Earth would Toronto part with Matthew Knies.
After all, he’s a talented, 23-year-old power forward with 30-goal potential.
Thanks to Elliotte Friedman, Leafs fans can get a reasonable answer to that question.
During his appearance in the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman provided a simple answer to the question regarding why the Maple Leafs would be willing to move on from Knies.
Simple as it is, it’s one that fans might not have really expected.
“It’s that I think there was worry that the injuries he’d suffered, especially the concussion, that they might catch up with him. That’s it.”
Friedman drilled down on the point that there zero complaints about Knies in Toronto. However, his comments honed in on the long-term viability of Knies as a player. And when looking at Knies at various points last season, it was evident that he had been dealing with something well beyond what was publicly known.
Could there be some legit concern regarding how well his body could hold up over time? Perhaps the Maple Leafs were willing to pass on a future lemon to the Blue Jackets.
Knies Had Just Gotten Tired of the Toronto Circus
One of the post-trade comments swirling around social media was the fact that Knies had been relieved to get away from all the trade chatter and speculation in Toronto.
Had the trade not happened, Knies would have had the remainder of his Maple Leafs tenure marked by trade chatter. And even if the organization had publicly gone out to squash any talk, the speculation would still have been ongoing.
That’s why there’s plenty of reason to think that Knies was actually happy to see the deal happen when it did.
“Not entirely surprised. I feel like it’s kinda been hanging over my head for a little bit here… one day before opening day, I was pretty shocked.”
#leafsThe fact that Knies had the situation “hanging over his head” says a lot about the way things have been going for the former second-round pick.
Now that the situation is over, the only thing that remains is for Knies to prove the Maple Leafs made a major mistake by trading him.
Maple Leafs Had to Give Up A Good Player to Get a Good Player
At the end of the day, the Maple Leafs had to live up to the saying, “You have to give up something good to get something good.”
And that’s pretty much what happened in this trade. The Maple Leafs surrendered a terrific young player, who might not be the best stylistic option for the organization anymore, to get a more established player who has proven to be an instant fit for the team.
Moving forward, Kirill Marchenko should be a better overall fit for the way the Maple Leafs are playing now. Plus, his connection to Jack Roslovic from their Columbus days should be another good reason why this trade will work out.
So far, John Chayka looks smart in this deal. It will still take some time before a true assessment of the trade can determine who won and who lost.
Maple Leafs Reason for Trading Knies Revealed by Friedman