A rumoured Montreal- Columbus blockbuster could end up mattering far more to the Toronto Maple Leafs than it does to either team involved.
The name at the center of it is Kirill Marchenko. If the Blue Jackets actually move him, the ripple effect could stretch well beyond Columbus, especially if the club then has trouble getting RFA Adam Fantilli signed. That kind of turn could push the conversation toward Zach Werenski, and once Werenski enters the picture, Toronto starts to make sense again.
Columbus has spent this stretch trying to hold onto its young core. The team has already re-signed top goalie prospect Jet Greaves and forward Cole Sillinger.
It also brought in Ryan Lomberg in free agency and traded for Valeri Nichushkin. But dealing Marchenko would be a different kind of signal altogether, and the question becomes whether that would change how Werenski views the situation.
Werenski and the Blue Jackets have publicly declared their love for one another, but a major move like this could still send the wrong message to the Norris Trophy winner. If that happens, it is fair to wonder how long it would take before Werenski starts pressing for a trade of his own.
That probably would not happen before the season. Even if Marchenko is moved right away, everything would depend on the return. If Columbus lands the kind of defenseman that can help cushion the loss of Werenski, then Toronto’s path to a potential deal could open up.
This is not the first time Werenski’s name has been tied to the Leafs. Earlier this offseason, the rumour mill had him linked to Toronto, with the Tampa Bay Lightning also mentioned as a possible destination. Nothing came of it, and the whole thing drifted into the what-if category.
Still, if Columbus becomes more willing to listen, the chatter could come back fast.
No one is pretending to know the exact timing. NHL trade timing is a lot like timing stocks: you can make a decent guess, but you never really know when the market is going to move.
A deal could even come once the season starts. If Marchenko is traded this summer and the Blue Jackets stumble out of the gate, the noise around Werenski would only grow louder.
That is why John Chayka could be loading up on as many assets as he can. He may be trying to build the kind of package that could land the kind of player who changes the whole league conversation.
For now, the situation may be quiet. It may not stay that way for long.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Still Have 3 Free Agent Decisions To Make
The Maple Leafs have already done plenty of their offseason business, but there is still room for one more move or two if they want to keep shaping the roster around the edges. A few unsigned names remain in the conversation, including Eeli Tolvanen, Michael Bunting and Nick Blankenburg, each offering a different kind of fit depending on what Toronto values most at this stage of the summer.
Tolvanen brings the most upside as a possible top-six option, while Bunting would be the familiar face in the mix after spending his best years in Toronto and carving out a role as a middle-six winger. Blankenburg, meanwhile, would give the Leafs an affordable right-shot depth defenseman, which is the sort of low-risk addition that can still matter when the lineup tightens up later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Just Made Quiet Changes Fans Have Been Waiting On
With the NHL arbitration calendar now wrapped up without a single hearing, the leagues attention has started to shift from contract drama to the quieter business of building for the season ahead. Around the league, notable deals have landed for players such as Jet Greaves, Jason Robertson, Jamie Drysdale, Connor McMichael, Trevor Zegras and Cole Perfetti, while Chicago and Utah also got key business done on the contract front.
For the Maple Leafs, the more relevant movement came on the organizational side, where the Marlies hockey operations and coaching staff received a fresh round of official changes. Chris Bourque was named assistant GM alongside Ryan Hardy, Jeremiah Crowe was brought in as Director of Player Personnel, and Denver Manderson and Greg Moore were added as assistant coaches for Steve Sullivan and Mark Giordano, a set of moves that signals the Leafs are continuing to shape the development pipeline behind the NHL roster. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Defensive Logjam Could Force Another Painful Roster Decision
Torontos offseason work on the blue line has created more competition than certainty, with Emil Andrae and Darren Raddysh coming in and Troy Stecher back in the fold after Simon Benoit was moved out. It is the kind of reshuffling that can help a roster in the long run, but it also leaves the Maple Leafs with a crowded defense group and a few uncomfortable decisions still to come as training camp gets closer.
Philippe Myers sits at the center of that squeeze after a difficult season in which he never really established himself as a steady option. Toronto would like to keep opening space for younger defensemen such as William Villeneuve and Ben Danford, but the path to do that may require another move on the back end, whether on the trade market or through a more procedural route if no deal materializes. [Read more 🡒]