William Nylander reacts to Matthew Knies trade with fiery Instagram message
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
William Nylander posted a heartfelt Instagram goodbye to Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz after the Maple Leafs traded both to the Blue Jackets.
William Nylander wasn't about to let two teammates leave without a proper send-off.
Right after the Toronto Maple Leafs shipped Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nylander went to his Instagram story.
He shared the team's thank you graphic for Knies, tagged the Leafs and added a row of four fire heart emojis.
According to the post, he also said goodbye to Lorentz.
The blockbuster went down Monday on the eve of the 2026-27 season.
Toronto sent Knies, Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a conditional 2027 second-round pick to Columbus.
Losing a homegrown winger
Knies is the name that will sting the most.
The 23-year-old was a second-round pick by Toronto in 2021 and turned into a real top-six piece.
He finished third on the team in scoring last year with 66 points, including 23 goals, in 79 games.
He was also locked in through 2031 at a $7.75 million cap hit.
Lorentz was a different story. The depth forward was placed on waivers last week and cleared, so his exit was easy to see coming.
A message that says plenty
Nylander's post is a small thing, but it shows the bond these guys had.
Players get traded every year, yet a public goodbye like this tells you those two were more than just names on the roster.
Now the focus shifts to the ice.
Marchenko signed a six-year extension worth $12.5 million per season that kicks in during 2027, so Toronto clearly sees him as a long-term fit.
How that pays off will be the story all season.
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