With one transaction, the entire makeup of two NHL teams has shifted. For the Blue Jackets, they lose some skill; but gain another big, heavy body that fits into the mold of roster that Don Waddell has tried to build his team into. The addition of Matthew Knies changes the way this team will have to play.
The big question here is, how well will it all work? At 23 years old, Knies is a bit younger than the player sent the other way. He plays a much different brand of hockey, but he has similar scoring output.
Last year, he scored 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games, adding 29 penalty minutes and a -30 rating with the Toronto Maple Leafs. For his career, he's played 240 games, totaling 67 goals and 160 points; essentially, producing like a high-end second line player.
The thing is, the Blue Jackets are going to need more out of him, to make this deal really work. They need him to become a top line player, even if that's only on the lower end of that metric. I do think that's possible, and the fact that he's out of the media whirlwind that is Toronto, I like his odds.
He has the ability.
At 6'3" and over 230 pounds, Knies is a straight-lines player. He's not going to hold onto the puck as much as Kirill Marchenko did. Nor is he going to single handedly drive offense. Instead, I expect him to become the complimentary piece on this team's top line, alongside Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson.
The interesting thing about that is, we have seen those guys work well with a guy like this before. Two seasons ago, they spent a lot of time on a line with James van Riemsdyk, who is a similar type of player to Knies. The results were pretty good, especially for Johnson.
So, the formula for success is there. Matthew needs to play the game predictably, use his size and hands to get to the scoring areas, and bury his chances. Fantilli and Johnson are both capable of carrying the mail and distributing it, especially with a big body clearing space. On paper, it should work.
I don't expect them to post elite metrics at 5-on-5, as they lost a true play driver here. The biggest key to putting this whole puzzle together, might be the power-play finding a way to click. This team has to finish inside the top-10 or so with the man advantage this year-and Knies needs to be a part of that.
With that all said, they do have to do it at a higher level at 5-on-5. They aren't going to be insulated any longer. For better or worse, this trio is going to form this team's top line, at least for the immediate future. All three of these guys need to take a step forward, right now, if this team is going to contend for a playoff spot.
If that happens, and the chemistry comes together early; this could be a sneaky good move by the Blue Jackets. Knies fits better into their competitive core's age range, and could grow alongside this team's best young players.
He comes with a very reasonable cap hit, which pays him $7.75 million dollars against the cap for the next five seasons. That certainty adds to a roster which has 8 forwards signed for at least the next three seasons.
With the salary cap rising, if this all works: we could look back upon this acquisition as the one that changed this franchise's entire fate. If it doesn't work, well, what are we out at this point?
I'm excited to see Matthew Knies play in Columbus, and curious to see what he can do without the bright Toronto spotlight shining upon him. And without the constant trade rumors. A quiet environment surrounded by similarly aged young talent, could work wonders for both him and the Blue Jackets.
Add us as a preferred source on Google