The biggest move on Monday sent Kirill Marchenko to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a multi-player deal that also brought Matthew Knies into the conversation, and the path to that trade was apparently a lot longer than it looked from the outside. Aaron Portlzine of The Athletic reported that “GM Don Waddell said talks with the Leafs were on-again, off-again for weeks.
Sparked back up today and got really serious when news of a possible deal was made public. Waddell said no “real, serious” talks toward a trade with other clubs because they couldn’t get the “today” return.”
Marchenko is now handling visa paperwork so he can get to Toronto as soon as possible, though it has not been confirmed whether he’ll be available for the next game. The trade also landed in the middle of another off-ice wrinkle: a report from Andrew Raycroft that Marchenko showed up to camp out of shape.
Marchenko’s agent pushed back hard on that idea, saying, “Kirill’s conditioning has NEVER been a topic. Andrew’s [Raycroft] relevance, on the other hand…”
The other half of the deal has sparked plenty of questions in Toronto, especially why the Maple Leafs were willing to move Matthew Knies. Elliotte Friedman said on Real Kyper & Bourne that the issue was not some sweeping judgment on Knies as a player or a person. The only concern Friedman had heard centered on Knies’ injury history, while the broader discussion seemed to be about how Toronto valued his future.
There’s also a belief that Knies may have been the one trade chip the Leafs could actually use to get the deal done. Since the Blue Jackets wanted someone who could help them immediately, Knies became the piece that made sense for both sides.
Bryan Hayes took it a step further, pointing to the possibility that Toronto was reading the market on Knies and deciding to move before his value changed. “This is the first analytical trade the team has pulled off.
They have some sort of data that this is a piece that will lose value over time,” said Hayes.
In Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov’s extension still hasn’t come together, and Elliotte Friedman thinks the longer it goes, the more important the situation could become. On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman said it’s unusual for someone as central to Lightning GM Julien BriseBois’ plans as Kucherov to remain without a new deal this long. If the talks keep dragging, Friedman suggested it may mean BriseBois has already put an offer on the table that he won’t budge from.
Pierre LeBrun, though, isn’t sounding alarms. He said there’s no reason to panic yet and that everyone involved appears comfortable with how things are unfolding. Kucherov reportedly wants to stay, Tampa wants him long term, and there’s still plenty of time before free agency.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, Simon Edvinsson is still unsigned. Shawn Horcoff confirmed that Edvinsson is not practicing with the team right now, and said the Red Wings will keep talking with the defenseman and his camp. With the season getting closer, Detroit still has business to finish with one of its key young blueliners.
In Other News...
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The Lightning know the challenge is bigger now, but they also know the standard has not moved. Players have acknowledged the tougher competition without drifting from the larger goal of getting back into the playoffs and making a run at the Stanley Cup, which is still the only outcome that really matters in Tampa Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Just Reopened A Frustrating Goalie Development Debate
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Ottawa moved quickly to patch the organizational depth chart, acquiring Jonas Johansson from the Lightning to help out the AHL side in Belleville. It is the kind of transaction that usually flies under the radar, but for Tampa Bay it is part of the same larger ecosystem, where one teams goalie surplus can become another teams short-term fix while the bigger question about the original prospect remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Camp Decisions Just Defined Tampa Bays Opening Night Group
The Lightning have their opening-night picture set, and the final camp cuts tell a fairly clear story about how Tampa Bay wants to start the 2026-27 season. The roster is trimmed to 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders, with the group built to head into the Oct. 1 opener against the New York Rangers after a long evaluation period.
There is still some sorting out on the edges, though, as the forward mix will be affected before puck drop and the organization is choosing long-term development for a pair of young prospects rather than forcing them into the NHL right away. Conor Geekie, meanwhile, has earned a familiar spot on the opening-night roster for a third straight season, a sign he remains part of the teams immediate plans even as the rest of the depth chart settles around him. [Read more 🡒]