The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a massive blockbuster with the Columbus Blue Jackets. They acquired Kirill Marchenko, Evlis Merzlikins and Miles Wood in exchange for Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
This was a deal that truly came out of nowhere. There was some speculation that the Maple Leafs had been interested in Marchenko, but until earlier today when NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that things were heading up, it was all just that, speculation. However, now it's real; the deal is done, and it's time to grade the trade for both sides.
Trade grades for the Maple Leafs & Blue Jackets
Maple Leafs: A
First up, the Maple Leafs and they are getting an A for the trade that they made. It's obviously bittersweet to see fan favourite Knies be shipped out of town. But the organization's front office recognized a player that they felt was too good to pass up on in Marchenko and pulled the trigger on the deal. Which is why they are getting the A grade. John Chayka acquired a top-line winger that has great scoring ability and is a big-bodied forward, and playing within the Maple Leafs' top six could hit the 50-goal marker rather easily.
Marchenko has led the Blue Jackets in goals for the last seasons. In that time, he has scored 81 goals during that time. Knies has only scored 67 in that time, which is a huge difference. But the most important takeaway from that is that at times Toronto has struggled to score. Their offence has dried up, and that's where they need another scoring winger threat, which is something that Marchenko provides and Knies hadn't over this time with the organization.
As mentioned, in addition to Marchenko, the Maple Leafs also took on the contracts of Merzlikins and Woods. Starting with Merzlikins, he is injured and will start the season on LTIR. It seems unlikely that he will play at all this season. So Toronto essentially took on the money to put it on LTIR and get a bit more cap relief. As for Woods, he is a serviceable NHL player; the only concern is his cap hit. He is signed for two more seasons at $2.5 million. However, since he was waived by the Blue Jackets and cleared. PuckPedia has him listed as a buried cap hit, so his current cap hit is $1.2 million.
Blue Jackets: A+
It's not everyday that a trade happens and both teams get an A. However, due to Don Waddell's work, he managed to get himself an A+. He traded a skilled forward who wanted out of the organization in Marchenko and in return got a young-promising power forward in Knies. Who will slot in nicely alongside Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson on the Blue Jackets' new top line, and all of a sudden, the core in Columbus is significantly younger and has a ton of potential.
There are going to be a lot of Maple Leafs fans who grow to regret this trade, especially if Knies reaches a Brady Tkachuk level. That said, he doesn't need to be a unicorn, just a power forward who can score 60+ points and help get his new club into the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons.
The Blue Jackets were also able to acquire a solid fourth-liner in Steven Lorentz, who gives his all each and every night. He will quickly become a fan favourite. As for Andrae, although he only played in the preseason for the Maple Leafs, he looked dependable. He is going to be a very solid third-pairing guy who can score 20+ points and even help quarterback their second power play unit.
All in all, both teams improved. They both lost a skilled, young forward, but there isn't much time to dwell on it. The Maple Leafs open the season against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. So, it'll be interesting to see if Marchenko is in the lineup. As for the Blue Jackets, they play their season opener on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Which is going to be Knies' debut with his club.
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