Elliotte Friedman reveals the real reason Toronto traded Matthew Knies
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Elliotte Friedman explains why Toronto traded Matthew Knies to Columbus, and it had nothing to do with his character.
Matthew Knies is a Columbus Blue Jacket now, and the real reason Toronto moved him is finally coming out.
Elliotte Friedman addressed it on Real Kyper & Bourne after Monday's blockbuster, which sent Knies to the Blue Jackets in a six-player deal that brought Kirill Marchenko back to the Maple Leafs.
His message was simple. Nobody in the Leafs organization ever called Knies a bad guy or a problem in the room.
That theory can be put to bed.
"Nobody ever said this is a bad guy or this is a terrible person or we don't like him. The only concerns I ever heard about him were that he gets hurt so maybe that was an issue to them [...] I just think Knies got traded because they look at what they could get for him and they said we think that ceiling is higher. [...]''
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
What Friedman actually heard
The only concern Friedman ever heard was durability.
He said Knies gets hurt, and maybe that bothered Toronto.
Still, Knies posted a career-best 66 points last season while reportedly dealing with a knee injury, so it didn't hold him back much.
The bigger point was about value.
Friedman believes the Leafs looked at what Knies could return and decided the player coming back has a higher ceiling.
That makes this a hockey decision built on projection, not some behind-the-scenes falling out.
What it means for both teams
Columbus gets a 23-year-old power winger signed at a $7.75 million cap hit through 2030-31.
Youth plus cost certainty is a great foundation, and the Blue Jackets clearly see him as a building block.
Toronto gets Marchenko, a 26-year-old who scored 27 goals last season, and a potential fit next to Auston Matthews.
The rumors around Knies had followed him for the better part of a year, so this didn't come completely out of nowhere.
Now the pressure shifts. The Leafs are betting on the higher ceiling, and Knies gets a fresh start somewhere he'll be counted on.
It'll take time to judge who won this one, but the idea of a locker room issue looks like a dead end.
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