Elliotte Friedman reported that the condition attached to the pick sent to Columbus in the Kirill Marchenko trade actually benefits the Maple Leafs.
On Monday evening the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets pulled off a stunning blockbuster that sent Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae, and a conditional second-round pick to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood.
Marchenko made his debut on Tuesday night and had a pretty solid game, notching an assist on William Nylander's first goal. He's going to take some time to acclimate but so far, the first look at Marchenko shows he might be exactly what Toronto needs.
Toronto didn't attach any extreme conditions on their second-round pick
Though the main focus is of course Knies and Marchenko, there is that conditional pick thrown in there that could cause some issues depending on what conditions are attached. Does Toronto end up losing a prime pick? Does it switch to a first if Marchenko explodes? We had no idea.
Until Elliotte Friedman came in with some pretty big details regarding that pick. Friedman explained that the Maple Leafs will actually be giving the Blue Jackets the lowest of Toronto's two picks during the 2027 NHL Entry Draft:
The condition on the second-round pick is that Columbus gets the lower of Toronto's two next June.
Toronto got fairly lucky with the fact that Columbus didn't want to take the higher of the two picks, and if Toronto has a good enough year, then the Blue Jackets aren't going to pick too high.
Granted, a second-round pick is still a very desirable piece, but the difference between picking 35th and 60th is night and day, and there's always a chance that the Blue Jackets end up trading that pick in a future deal.
Was Marchenko worth the additional pick?
Giving up Knies and the other pieces is already a tough sell, but giving up a pick as a sweetener could frustrate fans a bit. But as John Chayka said, you need to trade quality to get quality, and he's already making an impact.
He didn't score on Tuesday but he was a nuisance to Montreal all night, and if it weren't for Jakub Dobes' insane level of ability, he very well could have had a multi-goal game. He's going to excel in Toronto and he's absolutely worth a second-rounder.
Toronto still has their 2028 first-round pick, they still have their best prospects, and now have the piece that rounds out the lineup. It was a pricey acquisition no doubt, but at the end of the day: Marchenko is here to stay, and it's unlikely we even remember this pick years down the line.
Do you think Toronto made the right call acquiring Kirill Marchenko?
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