The Maple Leafs are moving quickly at the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, and the name at the center of the buzz is a big one: Kirill Marchenko.
Toronto and the Columbus Blue Jackets are “deep in discussions” on a trade involving the 26-year-old winger, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The exact return going back to Columbus is still unclear, but Marchenko appears to be the key piece in play.
There is word this afternoon the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs are deep in discussions on a trade involving Kirill Marchenko.
More to come...
- Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 28, 2026
Marchenko’s future in Columbus has been hanging in the air for a while now. He has reportedly made it clear he will not be signing a new contract with the Blue Jackets, and he is set to become a restricted free agent next summer once his current deal, which carries a $3.85-million AAV, runs out.
For the Blue Jackets, Marchenko has grown into one of their most dangerous young forwards since they selected him in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He put up 21 goals as a rookie, then followed that with 23 goals and 42 points in 78 games during the 2023-24 season.
His biggest jump came in 2024-25, when he broke out with 31 goals, 43 assists and 74 points in 79 games. That made him just the third player in Blue Jackets history to reach both 30 goals and 70 points in a season, joining Rick Nash and Nick Foligno. He also shared the Columbus lead in goals with Adam Fantilli that year, a clear sign of how central he had become to the team’s young core.
What makes Marchenko especially interesting for Toronto is that he brings plenty more than a finishing touch. At 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds, he has the frame to play a physical style, and he pairs that with a dangerous shot and strong skating. NHL EDGE data from last season placed him among the league’s better forwards in categories like midrange goals, shot speed and high-end skating bursts.
That blend of size, speed and scoring is exactly the kind of profile that stands out for the Leafs as they try to add more young, dynamic talent up front. Toronto already has physical players on the roster, but not many who combine those traits with a shot that can make 30 goals feel like a real baseline on a strong team.
And if Marchenko were to land with elite support, the upside gets even more intriguing. The idea of him skating alongside talent like Auston Matthews is the kind of fit that could send his numbers soaring. For now, though, the biggest question is what Toronto would have to send back to Columbus to get it done.
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The wrinkle, of course, is the family tie to Montreal, where Nick Suzuki has become one of the Canadiens most important players. Any claim by Toronto would not just be about adding another body to the mix, it would also add a fresh layer to a rivalry that never needs much help getting hotter. For now, though, there has been no official claim or transaction reported. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Have To Risk A Core Young Piece Here
The Maple Leafs are once again circling a deal that would reshape the top end of their forward group, with Toronto and Columbus reportedly deep in discussions over Kirill Marchenko. Marchenko is still a restricted free agent and does not have an extension in place, which makes the timing of any move especially delicate for a Leafs team looking to upgrade without losing too much ground in the process.
Matthew Knies and draft picks have surfaced as the kind of assets that could be involved, which is exactly the sort of price Toronto has to weigh carefully when chasing a player with upside. Nothing has been finalized or officially confirmed, and the talks remain fluid, but this is the kind of trade conversation that forces a club to decide how much of its young core it is willing to risk for a potential swing. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Are Suddenly Watching A Strange Marchenko Trade Rumor
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Elsewhere in the hockey rumor mill, a much stranger Boston-related thread has started making the rounds after social media users noticed Bruins players and Kirill Marchenko following each other on Instagram. It is the kind of detail that can send fans into overdrive even when the most likely explanation is pure coincidence, but it has still been enough to get people wondering whether there is anything more to the chatter. [Read more 🡒]