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1 point in 10 games: Imagine if Matthew Knies were performing like that in Montreal
Raphael Simard
1 point in 10 games: Imagine if Matthew Knies were performing like that in Montreal
Credit: YT

On September 28, a blockbuster trade took place in the NHL.

Dylan Larkin Nikita KucherovKirill Marchenko was finally traded. He headed to Toronto.

In return, Columbus acquired the excellent Matthew Knies—a bit of a steep price to pay—but the trade is starting to look good for the Leafs, even though Marchenko is currently injured.

In fact, Knies had two very strong first games in a Jackets uniform (four points, including two goals), but things went downhill from there.

The power forward has recorded just one assist in 10 games. Ouch.

(Credit: ESPN)

Now, imagine if he were performing like this in Montreal.

Obviously, I don't think he'd be on a one-point-in-10-games streak in Montreal, but still. We know Don Waddell paid a high price to acquire his services, and it would have cost Kent Hughes a lot as well this summer or at the last trade deadline.

I guess it's the Columbus effect, but after a three-point debut, Knies has gone invisible. He seems disinterested and is no longer the impact player he was at the start of the season, let alone the player he was in Toronto.

We know Marchenko wanted to leave Columbus, so under the circumstances, the Jackets got a good return. It's still too early to call this a steal for the Leafs (the Russian has 14 points in as many games), but maybe Waddell will soon start to regret his decision and tell himself that he should have accepted the Canadiens' offer after all.

How can he be brought back into the game? He's playing alongside the team's two best forwards and on the first power-play unit.

(Credit: Daily Faceoff)

I'm talking about Knies, but nothing is going right in Ohio.

There's only one forward with more than 10 points (and a point per game), the organization has a 5-7-0 record, and sits in last place in the East. Once again, the Columbus effect…

In Brief

– #Konecny?

– Interesting.

– It takes shots, above all.