Kirill Marchenko’s name has been floating around the rumor mill, but for now the Columbus Blue Jackets are not in active trade talks on their star forward.
According to Aaron Portzline on July 26, 2026, “Told there’s nothing happening with #CBJ on the Kirill Marchenko front, despite rumors out of Russia to the contrary.
Not saying it can’t change later this summer. But my understanding is #CBJ have not had calls on Marchenko since earlier this summer.”
Even with that current pause, the idea of a move later in the offseason hasn’t been completely shut down. That’s where the Utah Mammoth enter the conversation as a possible fit, at least in a hypothetical sense. The thinking is simple enough: Utah looks close to taking a real step forward and could be one or two pieces away from being viewed as a true Stanley Cup threat.
Marchenko, 26, would not come cheap. He posted 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 76 games last season, and his career line now sits at 102 goals and 106 assists for 208 points in 292 games. That production makes him the kind of player teams don’t acquire without paying a major price.
The Blue Jackets have already signaled that they want to keep him and expect him to be on the roster when the 2026-27 season opens. Still, if Marchenko is not willing to sign an extension, Columbus would have a strong incentive to explore a trade rather than risk losing him for nothing or dealing with an offer sheet next summer. He is a restricted free agent when his current deal ends.
For Utah, the appeal would be landing Marchenko with an extension attached. The Mammoth have just under $26 million in cap space for the 2027-28 season, when that new contract would begin, and a seven-year deal could land around $12 million per year.
In the mock framework, the Mammoth would get Marchenko and the extension, while Columbus would receive Dmitri Simashev, Jack McBain, a 2027 first-round pick, and another first-rounder in either 2028 or 2029.
That package gives the Blue Jackets NHL-ready help right away. Simashev appeared in 28 games for Utah last season and had one assist, and he looks set for a full-time NHL role this year. McBain, 26, has already played 316 NHL games, producing 44 goals and 63 assists for 107 points.
The added draft capital gives Columbus more flexibility too, whether that means chasing another player to help replace Marchenko or building out the prospect pool.
For now, the expectation is that Marchenko begins the season in Columbus unless something changes late in the summer. If it does, the Mammoth would make plenty of sense as a team to watch.
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