‘Bought to show the web page’: Knies nonetheless navigating shock of Maple Leafs commerce

COLUMBUS — It’s been three weeks for the reason that blockbuster commerce that shook up the Toronto Maple Leafs’ locker room on the eve of the 2026-27 marketing campaign. Three weeks since Matthew Knies obtained phrase, one evening earlier than Toronto’s season-opener, that he’d been dealt to Columbus, bringing an finish to a three-year run that noticed the 24-year-old emerge briefly as a core piece in blue and white.

Nearly a month on, with seven video games in a Blue Jackets sweater below his belt, Knies continues to be adjusting to life in Ohio after the abrupt change of handle.

“Last night was my first night out of the hotel in Columbus,” the winger stated Tuesday, forward of his first assembly together with his former membership. “It feels like I’ve been on the road for quite a while now. You know, first home-cooked meal in a while — you don’t really think about that kind of stuff when you get traded, just how long it takes to get all of your belongings and stuff over here, getting my parents situated to be able to come watch the games, and family and friends. It’s different.”

Capping off a summer time that noticed the Maple Leafs revamp seemingly all corners of the group, basic supervisor John Chayka’s greatest swing was little doubt the seven-piece deal that despatched Knies to the Blue Jackets and introduced Kirill Marchenko again to Toronto, ending a months-long spell within the hearsay mill for each wingers.

A dominant debut at Nationwide Arena noticed Knies acquire two targets and an help in an adrenaline-fuelled residence opener a pair days later. The winger’s play has cooled since, as the truth of the wanted adjustment interval set in.

“This is my first time driving to the game, too — finding the parking lot, finding my spot. Little things like that. It takes some time,” Knies stated. “It’s a long road, but I’m getting more settled. A lot of guys, a lot of people helping me, so it’s been good.”

His new teammates have begun to see a extra comfy model of the younger energy ahead, Blue Jackets veteran Zach Werenski stated Tuesday, the winger’s persona starting to interrupt by way of within the room. Still, whereas the Jackets facet of that late-September commerce introduced an finish to a protracted dispute that appeared all however sure to finish in a transfer for Marchenko, for Knies, the information hit like a crosscheck to the intestine.

“We were coming home from practice, got home, kind of a normal day. I started to feel my phone buzz a little bit, and then it all happened within an hour. I was pretty shocked,” Knies stated of the day the commerce went down. “Going into coaching camp, going by way of all of the pre-season video games, I feel simply the timing of all of it, that’s what shocked me a bit. 

“In the summer, it came up over and over. It just felt like it was something they needed to do. So, yeah. I’m here now, and that’s all I have to worry about.”

Tuesday evening, below the Nationwide Arena lights, the delight of Phoenix, Arizona will get his first shot at dealing with the group that traded him away, at lining up towards the teammates he went to battle with for the previous three seasons. That stated, talking with reporters after the Jackets’ morning skate, the younger ahead appeared extra subdued than champing on the bit, extra grateful to reunite with former mates than to show one thing to the membership that traded him away.

“It’s a little different. I’ve never experienced something like this, looking across and seeing a lot of familiar faces,” he stated. “But I think a lot of guys will tell you: No friends on the ice, until after. Hopefully I’ll get to chat and say hi to the guys, and wish them well. I didn’t get to talk to a lot of the guys, with how abrupt everything happened.”

Most jarring would be the expertise of lining up throughout from Auston Matthews, the centreman with whom Knies spent nearly all of his tenure in a Maple Leafs sweater.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Knies stated of his first sport on the opposite facet of the sheet from No. 34. “It’ll be pretty interesting. Playing alongside him for three years and now playing across from him, it’s different. But I think it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be fun. I think he’ll say the same thing, in the sense that it’s not going to be easy against each other. We’ll see.”

The Maple Leafs arrive in Columbus recent off a slump-busting win at residence towards San Jose, the membership’s first victory in 4 video games. Knies’ Blue Jackets, in the meantime, head into Tuesday evening’s tilt on the heels of a disappointing 2-1 loss to Minnesota, the hosts having gained simply as soon as of their previous 4 video games themselves.

Though he’ll attempt to preserve his concentrate on serving to Columbus get again into the win column, he stated, to deal with Tuesday’s affair like some other sport, there’ll little doubt be a lot extra on the winger’s thoughts as faces the Maple Leafs as a member of the opposition for the primary time.

“I wish I could’ve experienced my time there a little bit longer. But, you know, it happens. Things like that happen,” stated Knies, who counted John Tavares’ collection winner towards Tampa Bay as his favorite reminiscence from his time as a Leaf. “I used to be excited to get a chance right here — numerous younger guys to play with, core, among the best defencemen within the league. It’s a enjoyable place to be, a enjoyable group of fellows.

“I love those guys on that side. I care a lot about those guys. But I’ve got to turn the page a little bit, focus on the guys here, focus on winning, and focus on separating myself from them.”

‘It’s robust to not take it personally’: Blue Jackets put together for tense reunion with Marchenko

If the sensation between Knies and his former Maple Leafs teammates appears akin to long-lost high-school buddies reuniting after shifting away for school, the texture on the opposite facet of the commerce bears little resemblance.

Spurring the chain of occasions that noticed noticed GM Don Waddell transfer to pluck Knies out of Toronto was Marchenko’s want to go away Ohio and start a brand new chapter elsewhere. The Russian phenom questioned Monday evening in regards to the reception he’ll get from the Blue Jackets devoted when he makes his return on Tuesday. His former teammates marvel too, however count on some displeasure to be rained down on No. 86 in blue.

“I don’t know, I guess that’s up to the fans, right?” Blue Jackets pivot Adam Fantilli stated Tuesday. “If they’re offended by it, they’re going to react the way they’re going to react.”

“I know he was a fan favourite when he was here,” Werenski added. “I’m sure they’re a little upset with how it ended. I’m sure they’ll voice it if they are. It’s all part of the game. It’s part of what goes on, part of the business. As players, our main focus is just on getting two points.”

Points on the desk apart, it’s clear there may be ache nonetheless lingering from the winger’s resolution to hunt a brand new membership slightly than signal on long-term with the Jackets.

“It sucks,” stated Fantilli, who was Marchenko’s centreman for a lot of the winger’s Columbus tenure. “Marchy not desirous to be right here, it’s robust to not take it personally. Because I’d’ve been enjoying with him all 12 months, and he didn’t wish to be part of that. But it’s what it’s. For no matter purpose, whether or not it was who he was going to play with, whether or not it was administration, coaches, who is aware of. I haven’t gone in-depth with him on that. He has his causes. 

“I’m happy we’ve got guys who want to be here. It would’ve been a nightmare having a guy that didn’t want to be here all year. So, I’m happy we got that trade done when we did, and we got guys that want to be here.”

The younger centreman stated he hasn’t spoken to his former linemate for the reason that commerce that despatched Marchenko out of city. 

“Marchy was always good to me. We worked well together, we collaborated a lot, we talked a lot. I enjoyed playing with him. It’s upsetting the way he left, the way he wanted to leave,” Fantilli stated. “We’ve got to move forward. I haven’t really thought about what I’m going to say to him. We’ll see where the game takes us.”

Maple Leafs shaking up blue line forward of Tuesday’s sport

Toronto’s defence corps has been a piece in progress since an early-season damage despatched stabilizing veteran Chris Tanev again to injured reserve. 

With head coach Jim Hiller persevering with to tinker together with his pairs by way of the early going of the marketing campaign, it appears like Tuesday’s tilt will see a swap on the backside of the defence corps, as some additional time on the ice for Nick Blankenburg at Tuesday’s skate suggests Marshall Rifai will draw again into the lineup.

Projected lineup vs. Blue Jackets

Cowan — Matthews — Roslovic
Marchenko — Paul — Nylander
McKenna — Sissons — Lettieri
Duhaime — Blueger — MacEwan

McCabe — Raddysh
Rielly — Stecher
Rifai — Ekman-Larsson