After a months-long trade saga, Matthew Knies is ready to move on with his NHL career.
Knies is getting a fresh start after a last-minute blockbuster trade that sent him from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
"Excited to go to Columbus. I think it was kinda getting old here with all those rumours and stuff, so just glad that's put to bed and I get a new, fresh start in Columbus," Knies told reporters at his introductory press conference.
Knies was dealt to the Blue Jackets on Monday in a trade that sent Kirill Marchenko to Toronto.
The move came at an intriguing time, with the puck set to drop on the 2026-27 regular season on Tuesday, with the Leafs hitting the ice at 7 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT against the Montreal Canadiens (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+).
Knies said that the timing of the deal surprised him, having just come home from practice in Toronto, but added that the move was "kind of inevitable."
"With all that was out there... I (thought) it was gonna happen some time in the future, but not this quickly," he said.
The 23-year-old had seen his name pop up in rumours since last season's trade deadline, when it was reported that he had been brought up in a possible trade with the Montreal Canadiens for futures while general manager Brad Treliving was at the helm in Toronto.
According to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, current Leafs GM John Chayka also floated Knies in deals earlier in the off-season, having spoken to Columbus GM Don Waddell about a potential trade for defenceman Zach Werenski near the opening of free agency.
"You don't really listen to all that noise and nonsense a little bit, but it just kept coming up and it just kinda stuck by me, kinda hung over my head for a little bit," Knies said Tuesday. "So, glad it's over with and I can just kinda focus on hockey and helping this team win."
