Matthew Knies has been dealt in a massive six-player trade and Pierre LeBrun drops the details

Matthew Knies is leaving Jim Hiller's Maple Leafs in a stunning deal with Columbus that is set to involve six players.

TSN insider Pierre LeBrun reported Sunday afternoon that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets are indeed completing a trade built around Knies and Kirill Marchenko.

The size of the deal is what immediately pushes this beyond a straight one-for-one swap. LeBrun reports that six players are involved overall.

One of those additional names is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, giving Toronto and Columbus another major piece to sort into the final structure of the trade.

The full return has not yet been reported. Until the remaining three players are identified, the exact breakdown for each club remains incomplete.

Columbus: Knies, Lorentz, Andrae and a 2nd

Tor: Marchenko, Miles Wood, Merzlikins (some retained salary)

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"Okay, sorry for the delay.

I believe the math forced Toronto/Columbus to rework the trade

Still involves Marchenko, Knies & Merzlikins"

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Word is Marchenko extending in Toronto 5 or 6 years, approx $12.5M AAV

"Hearing the Leafs-Jackets trade involving Knies and Marchenko is indeed going through. Involves six players overall including Elvis Merzlikins."

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But the headline pieces are already substantial. Toronto is moving Knies, while Marchenko is part of the package changing hands from Columbus.

Knies-Marchenko blockbuster expands to six players

For the Maple Leafs, losing Knies immediately changes the look of Hiller's forward group. This isn't a depth move or a minor preseason adjustment.

Marchenko gives Toronto another established winger to work into its top-six mix, but Merzlikins' inclusion adds another layer to the deal and raises immediate questions around the crease.

LeBrun's update also makes clear that this trade is going through rather than simply being discussed. That distinction matters with three additional names still waiting to surface publicly.

The Blue Jackets are making a major change of their own by moving Marchenko. Adding Knies gives Columbus a different piece to build into its forward group as the clubs reshape their rosters before the season.

The original report was posted at 4:53 p.m. ET on September 28, turning what had been a Knies-Marchenko story into a much larger transaction.

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Now the wait shifts to the remaining names. With six players involved and Merzlikins already confirmed as part of the framework, the final return could change how this trade is viewed on both sides.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Leafs reportedly acquiring second player in Kirill Marchenko trade: $5.4M player heading to Toronto as well