Matthew Knies needed one night to make the Blue Jackets look smart, scoring twice last night in a 6-3 win over the Sabres.
He added an assist, put four shots on goal and buried the game-winner. One of those goals came on the power play.
Then came the part Toronto fans didn't want to hear. Earlier Thursday, Don Waddell went on Leafs Morning Take and walked through how the Knies-Marchenko blockbuster got done.
"My dealings with John through this whole process was very professional, very up front, and no games were played," the Columbus general manager said.
Not long ago, the noise around Toronto was that nobody would want to do business with the Leafs' front office. Waddell just made that noise sound silly.
-
Columbus didn't wait long for the payoff. The winger logged 16:06 of ice time in the season opener and still drove the result.
Rick Bowness now has a 23-year-old forward carrying a $7,750,000 cap hit. After one game, that number looks like a bargain.
Kirill Marchenko's quiet start puts the Leafs under the microscope
The other side of the ledger is much quieter. Kirill Marchenko has one assist through two games in Toronto and an even rating.
His $3,850,000 cap hit gives the Leafs cost certainty. The production? Not there yet.
And he isn't the only problem. Auston Matthews has no points through two games and sits at minus-2.
Toronto split their first two on home ice, dropping a 3-2 decision to Montreal on Tuesday before edging the Islanders 2-1 on Wednesday.
Four goals in two games won't cut it for a roster built around Matthews and William Nylander. Easton Cowan, of all people, leads the team with three points.
Judging a trade this early is like reviewing a restaurant off the bread basket. You learn something, sure. Nobody's writing the full review yet.
Still, two games in, this looks like a bad trade for Toronto. The Leafs moved the younger forward, and the younger forward is the one filling the net.
So how long does Jim Hiller wait before this deal becomes the storyline in his locker room?
The Leafs host Ottawa on Saturday. Columbus welcomes Utah the same night, riding the buzz of a six-goal opener.
The two clubs don't meet until October 20 in Columbus. By then, Marchenko will either quiet the room or make Waddell's comments sting a whole lot more.
Did the Leafs already lose the Matthew Knies trade?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Brady Tkachuk cheap-shots Macklin Celebrini then gets rocked by Jacob Trouba
