Full Matthew Knies-Kirill Marchenko trade package revealed as massive extension gets announced
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Kirill Marchenko signed a six-year, $75 million deal with Toronto as the full trade package came out, with Matthew Knies headed to Columbus.
The Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets are done dancing around this one, and the full package is finally out.
It is much bigger than a simple swap of two wingers.
Elliotte Friedman laid out the entire deal on X.
Columbus is getting Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a second-round pick.
Toronto is getting Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins, with some retained salary in the mix.
Six players changed teams right up against the 5 pm ET opening-night roster deadline, and Columbus badly needed cap relief.
It shows. Knies makes almost exactly $4 million more than Marchenko this season, so both teams had to make the money work.
Marchenko gets paid in Toronto
Toronto did not wait around.
Marchenko also signed a six-year, $75 million extension worth $12.5 million per season, according to his agent Dan Milstein.
That is a massive jump from the $3.85 million he will earn this year.
He is 26 and scored 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season, leading all Columbus forwards in both.
Merzlikins is the piece that raises eyebrows.
He is out indefinitely after shoulder surgery and carries a $5.4 million cap hit for one more season, which makes him a natural LTIR candidate.
What Columbus gets back
Knies is 23, coming off a career-high 66 points, and signed through 2031 at $7.75 million.
Toronto drafted him in the second round in 2021, so this one stings for the fanbase.
Lorentz and Andrae are depth pieces.
Lorentz was placed on waivers by Toronto last week, and Andrae arrived from Philadelphia earlier this year.
The second-round pick rounds out the return.
Toronto gets the scorer. Columbus gets the younger, cheaper future.
Now the only question is who won it.
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Forward expected to be 'crushed' by Leafs Kirill Marchenko trade as players remain in the dark