This wild Leafs trade would bring two Blue Jackets stars to Toronto

A fan trade idea making the rounds would send Matthew Knies from the Maple Leafs to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko and Zachary Werenski.

The pitch, posted by @TalkeyHockey on X, ships Knies, Cowan, Andrae, E. Mackenzie and Colorado's 2028 first-round pick to the Blue Jackets.

The Leafs get Marchenko on a "12x4" extension, $12 million a year over four years, plus Werenski.

Toronto would then move out Joshua and an NHL defenseman to make the cap work and sign Bunting for the top six.

Nobody has reported talks on anything like this. But the Leafs' interest in Marchenko is real, according to Elliotte Friedman.

Here's the problem. Knies put up 66 points last season, and Marchenko had 67.

So why pay that kind of money for a one-point upgrade?

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Maple Leafs trade proposal raises major question about Matthew Knies

Knies is 23 and carries a $7,750,000 cap hit through 2030-31.

The Blue Jackets winger is 26, and his $3,850,000 deal expires after this season.

The one ugly number on Knies is a minus-30 from last season. Marchenko finished plus-7.

Werenski is the real prize here. He carries a $9,583,333 cap hit, sixth among NHL defensemen.

Stack that on top of Marchenko's proposed extension, and the Leafs would be paying the pair $21,583,333.

Add Auston Matthews and William Nylander, and four players would eat $46,333,333 of Toronto's cap.

This is a bad trade for Toronto. Giving up a 23-year-old who matched Marchenko's production on a cheaper, longer deal only makes sense if Werenski is the whole point.

It's like trading in a paid-off car for the same model with a bigger monthly payment, then tossing in your bike to close the deal.

Knies also brings playoff scoring, with eight goals in 27 postseason games. Marchenko has yet to play an NHL playoff game.

The Leafs open Tuesday against the Canadiens, another team Friedman lists as interested in Marchenko. The Blue Jackets visit Detroit tonight.

Fan proposals rarely look like real ones. But the longer Toronto's interest keeps seeping out, the sooner someone in that front office has to decide whether Knies is untouchable.

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