Kirill Marchenko had no interest in the Toronto Maple Leafs

Kirill Marchenko is a Maple Leaf but if you said that in July, you'd be dead wrong as the forward reportedly had his sights set on Toronto's most bitter rival.

Now that the dust has finally settled after the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets blockbuster, we are finally getting used to the sweeping changes. Kirill Marchenko took part in his first practice and looks set to be dangerous with Toronto meanwhile Matthew Knies has already cemented himself as a force in Columbus.

It was a trade that stunned a lot of people around the hockey world, especially since there was a really good chance that Marchenko would have actually ended up in Montreal, but they reportedly didn't want to give up the price that Toronto ultimately paid.

Kirill Marchenko originally wanted to become part of the Habs organization

Though if you were to say to anyone in July that Marchenko would be a Maple Leaf you'd be laughed out of the room because all signs pointed to him wanting to be a Canadien.

Elliotte Friedman gave a bit more insight into the deal, and explained that earlier this summer, Marchenko still wanted out - but had Montreal in his sights:

The word early in July was he was willing to go to Montreal, but he wasn't so crazy about Toronto; somewhere over the summer, that changed

Whether it was a change of heart due to location, or a desire to play with different people, we don't really know what led to Marchenko changing his mind. However, if you hear how Auston Matthews has been talking about him - you wouldn't be surprised.

Auston Matthews may have had a huge hand in bringing Marchenko in

The two seem to already love playing with each other, and Marchenko knows that he can benefit from a player of Matthews' skill both from a scoring and playmaking perspective. He already nabbed one assist in his first game, and flirted with several scoring chances early on this year.

Knowing that the Maple Leafs are doing everything in their power to ensure Matthews wins in the next couple of years, it's not too shocking to see John Chayka pull the trigger. But it feels like Matthews had a much bigger voice than we may be led to believe, as he's the one who is ultimately benefiting most.

It's no secret that Matthews has been desperate for a play-driver since Mitch Marner left, and last season was a struggle overall. Marchenko is coming in to be that help that could lead to the captain sticking around past 2028.

While the two haven't exactly dialled in yet and shown the NHL what they are capable of, Marchenko's decision to change gears and head to Toronto may be the best move that he and the Maple Leafs have made this entire year.

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