Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets are in deep talks regarding a package sending Kirill Marchenko to Toronto.
On Monday afternoon, Elliotte Friedman dropped a bombshell on the NHL as he announced the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets were in deep discussions regarding a trade package that would see star forward Kirill Marchenko headed to the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs are working hard on a Kirill Marchenko trade
Friedman broke the news on X and explained that these are just preliminary talks and that there is more info to come later should a trade develop:
There is word this afternoon the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs are deep in discussions on a trade involving Kirill Marchenko.
More to come...
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Marchenko, 26, had 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games for the Blue Jackets last season, and is a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027-28.
TSN's Chris Johnston also added a bit more context as Marchenko does not currently have an extension in place with the Maple Leafs though those conversations will likely take place shortly later on this afternoon.
At this stage, there is no extension in place for Kirill Marchenko with the #leafs but those talks are expected to pick up this afternoon, per sources
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How Toronto is going to be able to bring in Marchenko
Suffice to say this situation turned on its head within a short timeframe. We reported previously that the cost for Marchenko may be too steep for the Maple Leafs however it feels like nothing at this point is going to stop John Chayka from trying to win.
We don't know what the package could entail, but it's presumed that Matthew Knies is going the other way due to age, potential, and helping clear contract space for a future Marchenko deal. It's an unfortunate turn of events if he does end up traded, as Chayka only weeks ago put his full faith in Knies as part of the solution.
Besides Knies, there could be a deal that involves Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, and/or even their 2028 1st-round pick they acquired in the Nic Roy deal, but with the team needing cap space it's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.
This is a breaking story. We will update you with any new details as they arrive.
Should the Maple Leafs acquire Kirill Marchenko?
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