The Marchenko chatter has gotten messy fast, and the latest update suggests the loudest version of the story was ahead of itself.
What started as online buzz about Kirill Marchenko and the Montreal Canadiens has now been met with pushback from multiple sides. One report said Montreal had been given permission to talk extension with Marchenko’s camp before a possible trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, which made it sound like something could be moving quickly if those talks went well. That’s not the picture being painted now.
Agent Dan Milstein fired back with, “Incredible reporting. Truly.
The confidence here is doing a lot of heavy lifting, shame it’s not attached to anything real. But hey, the “likes” don’t know that.”
That’s a direct denial of any extension discussion in Montreal.
The Blue Jackets side doesn’t sound any more advanced. Aaron Portzline reported there has been no recent movement on Marchenko, and that Columbus hasn’t gotten calls about the forward since earlier this summer. He didn’t shut the door on future talks, but the idea that a trade is right around the corner looks overstated.
Marco D’Amico also walked back the initial RG.org report, saying Montreal’s interest in Marchenko is real but there’s no sign of a deal being close or actively moving right now. Mark Scheig put it even more plainly: “If we have anything substantial and new to report on Kirill Marchenko or anyone else, we will say so. As of this moment, there is nothing new to report despite the report and rampant rumors out there.”
In Chicago, there’s a very different kind of surprise brewing. Reports say the Blackhawks offered the captaincy to Connor Bedard, the young star who is the face of the franchise, but Bedard is said to have passed that honor along to Patrick Kane.
If that comes to fruition, it would put Kane back in a leadership role with the team where he made his name. It would also say plenty about Bedard’s approach, deferring the title even though he’s the obvious long-term answer. An announcement is expected sometime mid-week, and if this is how it lands, it would be one of the more unusual captaincy decisions the league has seen in recent memory.
As for Patrik Laine and the Islanders, the rumor mill got ahead of itself there too.
Over the weekend, speculation surfaced that Laine had agreed to, or at least been offered, a professional tryout by New York. According to Stefen Rosner, the Islanders did speak with Laine’s camp earlier in free agency, but those conversations didn’t go very far. No PTO offer has been made yet, even if one remains a possibility.
Laine still makes sense as a name to watch for teams looking for offense, especially on the power play. He missed more than 100 games last season, which makes him eligible for a bonus-heavy deal with a lower base salary. That kind of structure could make him a low-risk swing financially.
There’s a catch, though: any contract under that setup would have to be for one year. So a team signing Laine would be betting on a rebound without any long-term control. If he gets back to being a 30-goal scorer, he could be back on the market next summer with more value and full leverage.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Face One Roster Tension That Could Define Everything
The Blue Jackets have spent the summer trying to turn a promising roster into one that can finally snap a six-year playoff drought, and the front office has already made some aggressive moves to get there. Charlie Coyle arrived on a six-year contract, Valeri Nichushkin came in via trade, and both Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger locked in multi-year deals, while Adam Fantillis next contract still sits on the list of business to finish before the season gets rolling.
Even with all that activity, one of the most important questions around the room remains unresolved as training camp approaches: who sets the tone in the dressing room now that Rick Bowness is getting a full season and camp with the club. Coyle looks like a strong candidate to wear that responsibility, but Columbus still has to decide whether to make the move official, and that choice could say plenty about how the organization sees its next step. [Read more 🡒]
Kirill Marchenko Rumors Raise A Huge Question About This Front Office
Kirill Marchenkos name has been floating through trade chatter again, but for now the Blue Jackets are treating it like exactly that, chatter. Recent reports said a deal involving the winger has been paused, though the possibility of a move later in the summer has not been ruled out, and Columbus has not received calls on him since earlier in the offseason. For the moment, the club still expects Marchenko to be on hand when the 2026-27 season opens.
Still, the fact that his name keeps surfacing says plenty about where the conversation around this front office is headed. Marchenko is the kind of player who would only be moved for a major return, and any scenario built around him would have to account for his value both now and over the long haul. Even with nothing active at the moment, the lingering question is whether Columbus is simply waiting out the market or keeping the door open to a much bigger summer decision. [Read more 🡒]