Matthew Knies breaks his silence on being traded by the Maple Leafs

The Columbus Blue Jackets released a video of the Matthew Knies trade situation, with the former Maple Leaf breaking his silence in real time.

As Tuesday continues on, many are still reeling from the blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko.

It came one day before the regular season kicked off and at the last minute given they pulled it off right before rosters were finalized. Knies' name had been in the rumour mill for a bit, and the Maple Leafs finally pulled the trigger.

Matthew Knies' first comments after being traded

But Knies wasn't exactly caught off guard, as he revealed in a phone call with Columbus GM Don Waddell, who called him right after acquiring the power forward. Knies was more surprised at the fact that it actually didn't happen sooner:

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.

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Knies obviously is still taking time to soak in all the changes, but he did directly admit that the issues with the spotlight and all the rumours were weighing on him. If that was genuinely going to affect performance then a decision has to be made one way or another.

Toronto made the right call even if it stings

Toronto decided to deal him for Marchenko, who is going to fit in nicely with the Maple Leafs. There was also some discussion as to why the Maple Leafs traded him away and it had a lot to do with his long-term health forecast - a potential big red flag going forward.

That, plus the skating and speed the Marchenko brings in addition to his elite scoring and possession ability - it was a necessary change. Toronto has gotten much faster and if Knies can't keep up with the rest of the team then it's much harder for him to contribute.

Columbus plays a much slower game which will be much better for Knies' long-term future and it gives him the chance to grow alongside Adam Fantilli as the new duo in Ohio. It's nothing personal, just business for Toronto.

While everyone was caught off guard with the trade, Knies must have had an inkling that something was going to be done sooner than later. At least now he can shake off any noise and focus solely on being the piece everyone coveted - and Columbus managed to land.

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William Nylander shares heartbreaking reaction to Matthew Knies trade