The jury is still out on the blockbuster trade that sent Kirill Marchenko to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the eve of the regular season, in exchange for burgeoning young star forward Matthew Knies.

Knies, 23, had signed a six-year, $46.5 million extension ($7.75M AAV) with the Leafs in June of 2025, and only just completed the first season of that last year. He was thought to be a core piece of the team’s future, playing alongside Auston Matthews on the top line. But trade rumors started creeping in around last season’s deadline in March. From there, it mushroomed into extensive trade talk, both around the Draft, and through the summer. But Leafs GM John Chayka tried to assure Knies that he wasn’t being dealt.

Maple Leafs lines tonight: projected lineup and starting goalie →

Until he was.

When the chance to land the Columbus Blue Jackets’ dynamic offensive star Marchenko came up, Chayka had to surrender his best trade piece to get him. And that was Knies.

The young power forward wasn’t happy to leave Toronto. He has now opened up about it on NHL Network. He used the words “shocked” and “upset” to describe how he felt hearing that he’d been traded.

I felt like it could happen to anyone, really. I think in Toronto, they needed some turnover and needed to make some changes, and I was a part of that. It came as a bit of a shock.

I was obviously upset to leave those guys. I was with them for three years, so it sucks to leave that group.

At the same time, Knies acknowledged that he was “pretty lucky to be in Columbus” now. “It’s a pretty good group here, extremely welcoming guys.”

It didn’t take long for Knies to endear himself to his new teammates, either. He had two goals and an assist in a sensational debut in the Blue Jackets’ season-opener, his first game with the team. He added an assist in the second game, and became the first player to record four points through his first two games with the Blue Jackets in franchise history.

Leaf fans are used to seeing former players leave the organization and go on to great things with other teams, so this is nothing new. But the incredible skills Marchenko has shown in the team’s first three games could help to make Leafs Nation ease the pain of losing Knies. At least, that’s John Chayka’s plan.