Toronto Bets $75 Million on Kirill Marchenko, and Matthew Knies Heads to Columbus

Auston Matthews has a new winger, and he cost Toronto one of its own. On the eve of the season, the Maple Leafs traded Matthew Knies to Columbus in a package for Kirill Marchenko, then locked Marchenko up for six more years at a $12.5 million cap hit.

Toronto sent Knies, forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick to the Blue Jackets. Coming back are Marchenko, forward Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Columbus is keeping 18% of Merzlikins' salary.

What Toronto gets

A goal scorer. Marchenko, 26, led Columbus in goals in each of the last three seasons and has 81 over that stretch, with 208 points in 292 career games. He's expected to start on the top line with Matthews.

He also wanted out. His agent, Dan Milstein, let it be known in June that Marchenko was looking for a change, and at camp he wouldn't say whether he still wanted to play in Columbus. The Leafs got permission to negotiate before the deal went through. His new contract starts next season; this year he plays out the final year of his old one at $3.85 million.

Wood, 31, is depth, signed through 2029. Merzlikins, 32, is out indefinitely after failing his camp physical following shoulder surgery in August, and is in the last year of his deal.

What Columbus gets

Knies is the prize. The 23-year-old had 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games last season, is signed through 2031 at $7.75 million a year, and had been in trade rumors for at least two seasons. Lorentz and Andrae are both signed through 2028.

Neither team has to wait long. Toronto opens at home against Montreal on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, and Columbus hosts Buffalo on Thursday, when Knies could make his debut in his new colors.