The Montreal Canadiens would jump at the chance to get Kirill Marchenko if the Columbus Blue Jackets ever put him on the market, but the real question is whether Montreal has the kind of package Columbus would actually want.
That was the crux of the conversation on Friday’s episode of The Sheet with Jeff Marek, where Marco D’Amico said the Canadiens would be “all over it” if Marchenko became available. But he also made clear that the chatter around Columbus has been tamped down in recent days.
“There was a report that came out from Daria Tuboltseva stating that a source believed the deal was close between the Columbus Blue Jackets and one of two teams.”
D’Amico said Aaron Portzline has pushed back on that idea, noting there hasn’t been any discussion dating back to the beginning of the month. He added that he’s heard the same thing from others around the league.
Even so, D’Amico said Montreal’s interest is not in doubt. The uncertainty is on the Columbus side, and more specifically whether the Canadiens can meet what Don Waddell would be looking for in return.
He pointed to how much the landscape has changed since the start of July, especially with the current RFA situation. That matters because the kind of player Columbus might want back could be different now than it would have been a few weeks ago.
D’Amico brought up Adam Fantilli as the kind of piece that would reshape the conversation. He said, “I don’t think Don Waddell in the month of June was thinking Adam Fantilli was going to cost him north of $13 million, but that’s the reality now.”
Elsewhere in the rumor mill, Dylan Larkin’s trade list remains a major talking point. Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now reported that everyone knows Larkin would accept a move to the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights or Florida Panthers, while MLive.com said the Dallas Stars are also on that list. The Detroit Free Press has disputed that report.
Talks between the Wild and Red Wings have taken place, but Detroit has not been impressed with the younger players Minnesota is willing to include. The Red Wings also want at least one proven player in any deal. With Steve Yzerman now out as GM, it remains to be seen whether the new GM would be comfortable with a return built more around picks and prospects.
Cap space is another obstacle. The Wild, along with the other teams on Larkin’s list, cannot absorb his $8.7 million cap hit without moving out salary first.
In Other News...
Jet Greaves Just Gave Blue Jackets Fans A Reassuring Contract Update
Jet Greaves avoided a potentially messy arbitration hearing with the Blue Jackets when the two sides reached a three-year, $15 million contract shortly beforehand. In an interview with Jeff Marek, Greaves reflected on the negotiation process and said it felt like a unique situation handled with respect, which matters for a player still settling into his place with Columbus.
For the Blue Jackets, the update offers a useful bit of peace of mind around a young goaltender whose future had been briefly headed toward a more contentious path. Greaves made it clear there was no strain in the relationship, and with the contract done, the focus now shifts back to hockey rather than the business that nearly pushed the sides into a hearing. [Read more 🡒]
Conor Garland Faces A Big Blue Jackets Test This Season
The Blue Jackets got Conor Garland at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, adding a forward whose track record suggests there may still be more offense to unlock. Garland finished the season with 12 goals and 33 points in 72 games when his production with Columbus and Vancouver was combined, a solid total but one that also leaves room for a bigger step if he settles in quickly.
Garland has shown higher offensive ceilings before, which is why his first full season with Columbus figures to be worth watching closely. For a club looking to make the most of its new pieces, his ability to push past last years output could become one of the quieter but more important storylines as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Marko Dao Still Stirs What Might Have Been For Blue Jackets Fans
Marko Daos name still carries a little extra weight in Columbus because of where his career started. Taken 27th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2013 NHL Draft, he arrived as one of the more intriguing young pieces in that class, before his path in the NHL became a familiar tour through Chicago, Winnipeg and Colorado, with trades and waiver claims marking much of the journey. For Blue Jackets fans, he remains one of those draft-day what ifs, a reminder of how much hope can get attached to a first-round pick.
Dao has been out of the NHL since 2021, when he headed back to Europe to play for HC Oceli Tinec. He has also continued to represent Czechia in international competition, which keeps his name in circulation for fans who followed his career from the beginning. Even now, there is still a certain curiosity attached to where his game might have gone if the Columbus chapter had unfolded differently. [Read more 🡒]