The trade chatter around Kirill Marchenko has reached a point where Buffalo can’t ignore it, but the Sabres may already be looking up at a crowded field.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic said Monday on Sabres Live with Brian Duff and Marty Biron that several Atlantic Division teams have been the most active in checking in on the Columbus Blue Jackets winger. He pointed directly to the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins as clubs that have been in the mix.
"I think if a team stepped up in a meaningful way - i.e., if Columbus got talent back that helps their NHL lineup now as part of a package - I think that's the kind of deal that could happen today, next week, in March, next July. I mean, that's the kind of deal that Columbus needs to get back for Marchenko. They don't want futures only," LeBrun said.
"... I don't know if there's a team that's called Columbus more than the Montreal Canadiens this summer about Marchenko.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have called a number of times under new management. Yes, the Boston Bruins."
Even with all that interest, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell is keeping the door open rather than slamming it shut. As LeBrun relayed it, Waddell’s message to suitors is: "I don't have to trade him right now. Let's see how the year goes."
Marchenko is in the final season of his current contract. He’s set to become a restricted free agent next summer and can become an unrestricted free agent as early as 2028. Right now, it does not sound as if he’s eager to lock in a long-term extension with Columbus.
The 26-year-old Russian winger has put up 141 points, with 58 goals and 83 assists, in 155 games over the last two seasons for the Blue Jackets.
His situation also mirrors the one involving Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who has been tied to the Sabres since before the 2026 NHL Draft. In both cases, the asking price centers on players who can help right away, not a package built around prospects and picks.
That kind of return has not shown up yet for either Columbus or Winnipeg, which is a big reason neither Marchenko nor Hellebuyck has been moved with the new season set to open Tuesday night.
There is one major difference, though: Marchenko is expected to suit up while the situation plays out. Hellebuyck, by contrast, did not report to training camp after making his trade request public.
For Buffalo, the immediate plan is to lean on internal growth after losing Alex Tuch, who was dealt to the Washington Capitals over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal.
Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich and Konsta Helenius are among the young forwards expected to take on more as the Sabres try to replace Tuch’s two-way impact.
If that group doesn’t take the step Buffalo wants, then the Marchenko conversation could get a lot more interesting. And if general manager Jarmo Kekalainen decides to jump in, he already knows the player well from his Columbus days. Kekalainen was in charge when the Blue Jackets took Marchenko in the second round of the 2018 draft, and he later signed him to his first NHL contract in 2022.
That history matters. At the very least, Kekalainen has a clear sense of how Marchenko would fit into Buffalo’s current setup.
The power play is one obvious area where Marchenko would help. It has been the Sabres’ most stubborn problem over the last two seasons, and Marchenko had 23 points - six goals and 17 assists - with the man advantage last year.
He would also give Buffalo a more dangerous option next to Tage Thompson on the top line. At the moment, the Sabres are planning to use Josh Doan and Peyton Krebs on Thompson’s wings.
On paper, that makes Marchenko look like a natural fit, especially if Buffalo stumbles out of the gate in 2026-27.
Still, Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff appear inclined to give the next wave of potential cornerstones a chance before making a major swing on the trade market. Given Buffalo’s depth, it’s a sensible place to start.
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