TSN's Darren Dreger revealed the Knies-Marchenko trade talks weren't a recent development as it has reportedly been in the works for several weeks.
Monday evening came with the blockbuster news that the Toronto Maple Leafs had traded Matthew Knies along with Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae, and a conditional second-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko (who signed a 6-year, $75M extension), Elvis Merzlikins (18% salary retention), and speedy bottom-six winger Miles Wood.
Besides being a complete shock to everyone involved, it was a move that has everyone wondering what the ramifications are. Will Knies break out into a superstar in Columbus? Can Marchenko push Toronto over the top? Are fans going to revolt after losing a beloved player?
Marchenko-Knies deal was not just a spur of the moment decision
Those questions will come in due time but there is one critical piece of information that can't be overlooked - this was a long time coming.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the framework between Toronto and Columbus had been in the works for several weeks, with Knies' inclusion being the piece that convinced the Blue Jackets to pull the trigger:
We will find out how the pieces of this beauty were put together, but trade talk between Columbus and the Leafs has been ongoing for weeks. Several teams in the league had eyes on Marchenko, but Knies put Toronto at the top.
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Marchenko was a hot commodity over the past couple of days, with reports that teams like Montreal, Boston, and Vegas were all potential options. Montreal may have had the strongest offer initially but reports show they were hesitant to add a player like Toronto did with Knies.
Did Toronto mess up trading Matthew Knies?
If you're a fan of Knies and what he brought to the team over the past few seasons, then you absolutely think it's a bad call. Heck, initially I thought it was a brazen move from Chayka.
But when you dig a little deeper you start to see why Marchenko was so coveted. He came into the league and immediately made an impact, and is miles above Knies in terms of speed and ability to transition back and forth.
Knies looked a lot slower this preseason and with the Maple Leafs putting an onus on speed and getting control of the puck, Marchenko was a better fit. Plus, he's genuinely one of the most effective 5v5 players in the world, and he's going to be exciting to say the least.
Dreger may have mentioned that this trade was in the works for a good while and though it took everyone off guard, we have to make sure that we reserve judgement until we see the results, though Knies fans are still going to be a little bitter to start the year.
Do you like the Maple Leafs trading Matthew Knies for Kirill Marchenko?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Six players involved in the Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko trade