- May 21, 2026
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A player with a new address is ready to get started with his new team.
When talking to reporters on Tuesday, new Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matthew Knies admitted that being traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs feels like a new opportunity and a sense of relief after what was a trying summer for him, mentally.
“I’m fired up to go to Columbus and get a fresh start and a breath of fresh air and not have to worry about all that kind of crap over my head for all those trade stuff,” Knies said. “And just kind of focus on hockey and focus on the guys in the room and try and win.”
Over the summer, Knies was at the forefront of trade conversation. With new general manager John Chayka at the helm, the Maple Leafs were making moves in order to be a more competitive team. With that, Knies seemed to be a solid option to be on the trade block. However, as the regular season drew near, it seemed that the 23-year-old was going to remain in Toronto. Even Knies stated that he was “fortunate that I’m still here.”
Yet, on Monday, the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Knies, forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to Columbus, with Toronto receiving forward Kirill Marchenko, defenseman Miles Wood and goaltender Elivs Merzlikins.
Knies admitted that leaving Toronto will be hard, as he created a lot of close relationships with his teammates.
“I’ll remember the guys, obviously. I love the group of guys we had here. There’s a lot of guys I can mention that helped me kind of get to where I am now, and a lot of veteran players that it was easy to follow with. But yeah, it was a fun time playing here. It was a crazy hockey city and exciting.”
Knies will have a couple of days to become familiar with his new surroundings before playing for his new team. The Blue Jackets begin their new campaign on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.
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When talking to reporters on Tuesday, new Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matthew Knies admitted that being traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs feels like a new opportunity and a sense of relief after what was a trying summer for him, mentally.
“I’m fired up to go to Columbus and get a fresh start and a breath of fresh air and not have to worry about all that kind of crap over my head for all those trade stuff,” Knies said. “And just kind of focus on hockey and focus on the guys in the room and try and win.”
Over the summer, Knies was at the forefront of trade conversation. With new general manager John Chayka at the helm, the Maple Leafs were making moves in order to be a more competitive team. With that, Knies seemed to be a solid option to be on the trade block. However, as the regular season drew near, it seemed that the 23-year-old was going to remain in Toronto. Even Knies stated that he was “fortunate that I’m still here.”
Yet, on Monday, the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Knies, forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to Columbus, with Toronto receiving forward Kirill Marchenko, defenseman Miles Wood and goaltender Elivs Merzlikins.
Knies admitted that leaving Toronto will be hard, as he created a lot of close relationships with his teammates.
“I’ll remember the guys, obviously. I love the group of guys we had here. There’s a lot of guys I can mention that helped me kind of get to where I am now, and a lot of veteran players that it was easy to follow with. But yeah, it was a fun time playing here. It was a crazy hockey city and exciting.”
Knies will have a couple of days to become familiar with his new surroundings before playing for his new team. The Blue Jackets begin their new campaign on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.
Continue reading...