The Toronto Maple Leafs made an aggressive trade on Monday, acquiring star forward Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a package deal that sent Matthew Knies the other way.It was a bold move to depart from a young player like Knies, who is locked in through 2030-31 on a contract that pays him $7.75 million per year. Not to mention, he carries a very unique skill set as a power forward, which isn’t so common at his level in the NHL.Nonetheless, the move was made, and Toronto gave up quality to get a quality player in Marchenko.Following that move, TSN’s Insider Trading reported that the Maple Leafs and GM John Chayka may not be done making aggressive moves in the trade market.”The Leafs feel, even after giving up Matthew Knies, who they viewed as their best young trade chip, that they still have other futures that they can move for ‘help now’ solutions,” Chris Johnston reported.What Does Kirill Marchenko Bring To The Maple Leafs That Matthew Knies Didn’t?Kirill Marchenko was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Matthew Knies, among other assets in the deal. What can Marchenko bring to Toronto that Knies didn’t?He added that Toronto has a 2027 first-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche that came in the Nic Roy trade at last year’s trade deadline. Prospects and other youngsters may also be in play, which would include the likes of Easton Cowan and Ben Danford, among others.”I think they’ll be looking to upgrade, even in these early days of the season,” Johnston added. Johnston also mentioned keeping an eye on the Maple Leafs’ defense as a potential area to upgrade. He noted that with Emil Andrae sent to the Blue Jackets in order to help the salary cap situation on the deal, there is a potential hole to fill.See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred SourceFor action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
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