It was reported that Montreal's offer for Matthew Knies was all about the future, and new information after his trade to Columbus has confirmed those reports.
We heard a ton about the Matthew Knies trade that was reportedly set to be between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs however it was submitted one minute too late from Brad Treliving and therefore, it never went through.
We know the package was going to be hefty, but with the Maple Leafs looking to improve now and win in the present, they managed to shift gears and bring in Kirill Marchenko, with Knies going the other way.
The reports stated that the Canadiens were willing to part with Alexander Zharovsky, draft picks, and potentially more, but that package couldn't entice John Chayka, and it's some pretty good luck on Toronto's part that they were able to turn Knies into a win-now player, and not someone who could help four or five years down the line.
Matthew Knies deal with Montreal was 100% about winning later on
Well, we can now definitvely say that the Canadiens were willing to mortgage their future for the chance to win now - regardless of the cost per David Pagnotta:
The trade with Montreal that the previous regime agreed to, that was futures driven; a 1st, two top notch prospects...and whatever else.
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With Toronto wanting to win with Auston Matthews during this current contract, it's unlikely then that Chayka would have ever entertained an offer that didn't help the team right now.
Montreal instead pivoted and acquired Chris Kreider via free agency after he was surprisingly terminated by the Anaheim Ducks for salary purposes. Kreider wanted out, Anaheim needed space - so the Canadiens swooped in to steal him.
Toronto can't regret the Knies trade despite the results
But with Knies out of town and Marchenko firmly part of the Maple Leafs' future, we have a much different look for both Toronto and Columbus.
Knies already cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with, and fits perfectly with their physical crash-and-bang style. Marchenko meanwhile gets a better chance at winning, and finds himself with a top-line role as the offensive driver for Matthews.
Both players have worked out remarkably well for both sides, and it's clear that this was a swap of elite talent that just fit better elsewhere. You have to trade quality to get quality, and the pieces fell into place for both Toronto and Columbus to benefit, and Montreal was on the outside looking in.
We can't change things now and we're going to have to live with Knies being a focal member of the Blue Jackets, but you can expect a seriously warm welcome when he comes back to Toronto on Nov. 21.
What trade package would you rather Toronto have taken for Matthew Knies?
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