Matthew Knies was once again just one minute away from not being traded

Marc-Olivier Cook
Matthew Knies was once again just one minute away from not being traded
Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

We all remember what happened at the last trade deadline. Right?

Matthew Knies was just seconds away from becoming a member of the Canadiens organization… but the trade deadline hit.

So the Leafs and the Canadiens didn't have time to complete the trade. Things would be different in the NHL today if it had worked out…

That said, Knies still came within a minute of not being traded this week.

On Monday, the Blue Jackets were able to finalize the trade at the very last minute before 5 p.m., the official deadline for teams to submit their rosters for the 2026–27 season. It was a close call, to put it another way: 

That's when you realize just how important the little details are in the NHL.

Because if the Habs and the Leafs had had time to close the deal at the last trade deadline, we wouldn't be where we are today. There probably wouldn't have been a ton of rumors involving Marchenko and the Canadiens, and who knows what would have happened with the Russian's situation in Columbus.

It's all a matter of technicalities. And we saw it again this week with Knies and the Blue Jackets…

At least the American can now focus on his game. 

No more rumors after months of speculation: Knies can sleep soundly… because he's certainly not about to leave Columbus (unless he wants to play somewhere else in the near future, of course).


Extension

Speaking of the Marchenko–Knies trade…

It's worth noting that Marchenko's agent, Dan Milstein, had to work very hard to secure his client's Canadian visa. Nicolas Cloutier wrote about it in a recent article: it came together almost at the last second… and that's what allowed Marchenko to play his first game with the Leafs last night.

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