With opening night right around the corner, the Montreal Canadiens may not be done yet. Darren Dreger said on the Ray & Dregs Podcast that Kent Hughes could still have another move in the works, and while he stopped short of calling it a lock, he did leave the door open for a deal before Game 1.
The name that has surfaced in that discussion is Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko. Montreal has been hunting for a top-six forward, with a second-line center sitting near the top of the wish list, and Marchenko has become a player to watch.
He put up 67 points in 76 games last season and carries a $3.85 million cap hit. The hurdle, though, is the price.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has said Marchenko wouldn’t be traded, even while acknowledging teams are calling and that any return would need to help Columbus.
There’s also chatter tying the Edmonton Oilers to Kirby Dach, which fits into a broader search for help down the middle. More on that later, but it’s another sign Montreal’s roster could still be part of the league’s bigger trade puzzle.
One of the more interesting pieces of that puzzle involves Alexander Nikishin and the Carolina Hurricanes. According to Elliotte Friedman, Carolina had the framework of a trade with the New York Rangers earlier this offseason, but the deal fell apart because Nikishin and the Rangers couldn’t get a contract agreement done.
Friedman said Nikishin’s ask was around five years at $9 million per season. That’s a hefty number, and it’s apparently not one the Hurricanes are eager to meet.
It also sounds like other teams may be hesitant, too, even with the salary cap rising. Nikishin, 25, is viewed as an offensive defenseman who can run a power play, but the commitment is the real issue.
That’s especially true when Carolina is believed to want something close to two first-round picks or comparable value in return. It’s not hard to see why a team would think twice before paying that kind of trade price and then turning around and handing out that kind of contract.
The St. Louis Blues were also said to have real interest at one point, and Friedman has suggested Nikishin’s camp was given permission to explore other options.
And there may be another layer to all of this for Carolina. Friedman believes the Hurricanes are still in the Connor Hellebuyck mix and would prefer a path where moving Nikishin helps create the assets needed to go after the Winnipeg Jets goalie.
A three-team deal could be part of that equation, though nothing has been confirmed. Carolina doesn’t need to force the issue, either.
Nikishin’s options are limited, and the Hurricanes can afford to wait and keep tabs on Hellebuyck’s market while Winnipeg looks for the right offer.
Out in Edmonton, the Oilers are said to be exploring the market for a right-shot center, and Friedman connected them to two names: Kirby Dach and Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright. Friedman also speculated that Mike Babcock may have identified the need for a right-handed center, though he made clear that was his read, not a confirmed conversation.
Dach brings size and flexibility, but the injury and availability questions are obvious after he played just 37 games last season and finished with 15 points. He’s on a one-year, $3.6 million contract.
Wright is the longer-range bet. The fourth overall pick in 2022 has 78 points in 169 NHL games, and while neither player is believed to be close to landing in Edmonton, both fit the kind of center the Oilers seem to be checking on.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Are Suddenly In The Middle Of A Massive Roster Gamble
The Blue Jackets have suddenly found themselves at the center of a major roster conversation, with reports saying Columbus and Toronto are in advanced discussions on a trade that would reshape both lineups. The talks are still fluid, but the framework appears to involve more than a simple one-for-one swap, with goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and salary cap pieces also part of the negotiations as both sides try to make the numbers work.
What makes this especially delicate for Columbus is that the deal hinges on one important layer beyond the player movement itself. The two teams are still working through the final terms, and the conversation has moved to whether the key forward involved would be willing to lock in a long-term commitment before anything is completed. Until that part is settled, the Blue Jackets are left weighing a gamble that could meaningfully alter their roster in one swing. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Huge Kirill Marchenko Decision Amid Trade Talks
Trade chatter around Kirill Marchenko has quickly turned into one of the more consequential storylines facing Columbus, with the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs still working through the framework of a deal. Marchenko has become the focal point because any move involving him is not just about the present roster, but also about what kind of commitment comes next for a team trying to build with some certainty.
Toronto has already been given permission to speak with Marchenkos agent about an extension, which gives the talks a different feel than a typical swap. Even so, no contract has been reached, and the two sides are still negotiating both the trade terms and the possibility of locking in Marchenko beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Kirill Marchenko Dilemma They Can't Ignore
Don Waddell has not hidden the fact that other teams are asking about Kirill Marchenko, and that alone says plenty about where this has gone. The Blue Jackets winger remains disgruntled, but Columbus is also trying to keep its competitive footing, which makes this a tricky spot for a front office that cannot simply treat him like a long-term futures piece.
Waddells preference is for a hockey trade, the kind that brings immediate help back instead of a package built around picks or prospects. That stance makes sense if Columbus still sees Marchenko as someone who can help right away, but it also narrows the market at a time when the Jackets are trying to balance present needs with a tense situation that is not going away on its own. [Read more 🡒]