Columbus hockey fans will see a new player manning the ice in place of star forward Elvis Marchenko in the upcoming NHL season.
The Blue Jackets have shipped Marchenko, along with goalie Elvis Merzlikins and forward Miles Wood, to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In return, the Blue Jackets received winger Matthew Knies as the headliner of the deal. Knies, 23, has been in the NHL for four seasons. He was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
The Blue Jackets also received defenseman Emil Andrae, forward Steven Lorentz and a second-round pick in the deal.
Who is Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matthew Knies?
Knies, a left wing, was selected 57th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in the final three games of the 2022-2023 regular season and in seven postseason games. He scored
his first goal in the second round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers.
In 240 regular-season games, Knies has 67 goals and 93 assists. Knies finished last season with a career-high 66 points.
Listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 232 pounds, Knies is a power forward and gets most of his scoring done around the crease. He uses his size to win in 50-50 battles and is an effective passer. He had 23 goals and 43 assists last season, the second-highest assist total on the Maple Leafs, and logged 1,484 minutes and 30.9% share of possible ice time, according to Moneypuck.com.
Knies played through the season with a knee injury he sustained in November 2025, according to NHL.com. He missed three games, but received regular treatment and did not miss another game past Nov. 26. Knies told reporters on Sept. 18 that he is "back to 100%" with no issues from the knee entering the season.
During Maple Leafs training camp, he skated at left wing with center Auston Matthews, who led the NHL in scoring three times and won the Hart Memorial Trophy in the 2021-22 season.
Knies has played in 27 playoff games in his career, recording 24 goals and 18 assists.
WHAT A GOAL FROM MATTHEW KNIES 🥵
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 27, 2025
GAME 4 IS ALL TIED UP!! pic.twitter.com/Y82NOBdXJb
A Phoenix native, Knies played at Minnesota and was the 2022-23 Big Ten Player of the Year. The Gophers lost to Quinnipiac in the 2023 national championship game.
Knies also played for the U.S. Men's National Ice Hockey Team in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The NHL did not send players to the Olympics that year due to the disruption of the regular season by the COVID-19 pandemic.
How much is Matthew Knies' contract worth?
In July 2025, Knies signed a six-year, $46.5 million contract, which has an average annual value of $7.75 million. The contract runs through the 2030-31 season.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matthew Knies stats
- 2022-23: 3 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point, 13:07 average time on ice, 1 giveaway, 3 takeaways
- 2023-24: 80 games, 15 goals, 20 assists, 35 points, 13:41 average time on ice, 29 giveaways, 38 takeaways
- 2024-25: 78 games, 29 goals, 29 assists, 58 points, 18:31 average time on ice, 38 giveaways, 14 takeaways
- 2025-26: 79 games, 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points, 18:48 average time on ice, 68 giveaways, 26 takeaways
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Learn about new Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matthew Knies in Marchenko deal
