William Nylander shares heartbreaking reaction to Matthew Knies trade

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander posted on his Instagram story a heartbreaking farewell to Matthew Knies after he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It was an earth-shattering Monday night in the NHL as the landscape of the league changed considerably. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets decided to start the fireworks early as they made a blockbuster trade involving Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko.

The shockwaves sent through the NHL reached far and wide as fan reaction turned social media into a firestorm of speculation with a ton of emotional sentiment sprinkled in.

William Nylander posts a heartfelt farewell to Matthew Knies

But there's no one who is affected more than Knies' former teammates, who were expecting to have him as part of their crew for the foreseeable future but now say goodbye to a cherished and beloved piece of the locker room.

And William Nylander might have felt the worst. Nylander posted on his personal Instagram story a picture of the Maple Leafs' 'Thank you' to Knies, with a few flaming hearts to let everyone know that he was affected.

He also did the same for Steven Lorentz, who was equally important and respected in the locker room, and it's clear the Maple Leafs themselves are going through some pretty emotional times right now.

Sadly, this is just a part of the NHL's day-to-day operations

While it is always sad that you see teammates leave, it's unfortunately a huge part of the NHL. Chris Tanev was extremely blunt in his assessment of the situation, and probably said what everyone is currently thinking:

You know, it's a s****y business sometimes.

Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to professional sports. It applies to all sports too, as there are mainstays and staples who are beloved in the locker room, vital to the community, and who have built a life in their respective cities.

But that can change in the blink of an eye as money and the desire to win often supersede any emotional connection. This is a business to those higher-ups, and there may be a time when they decide your time is up - whether you're 23 or 43.

You always hear the saying that it's never personal, and while you have to believe that at face value given the role of executives are to build a winning team and not collect assets - as John Chayka stated on Tuesday - there is a glaring oversight.

These players are first and foremost human, so perhaps a little bit of a heads up ahead of time is the least the team can give a future trade piece.

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Elliotte Friedman confirms why the Maple Leafs traded Matthew Knies