Kirill Marchenko’s name has been floating around the rumor mill, but the Blue Jackets aren’t acting like a trade is imminent. Don Waddell told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that Columbus still expects the winger to be in training camp with the club in a couple of weeks, even though other teams have checked in on the 26-year-old. Waddell also made it clear that any deal would need to make sense for the Blue Jackets, not just the team trying to land Marchenko.
That’s notable because Marchenko is coming off a strong season, posting 27 goals and 40 assists in 76 games. He has one year left on his bridge deal at $3.85MM, and his next contract could land him a major raise.
There was also a report that he told the team before the draft he would prefer not to re-sign there. For now, though, Columbus is signaling that if something happens, it won’t be right away.
In Washington, Chris Patrick gave an update on Rasmus Sandin’s recovery from ACL surgery, and the Capitals are hoping for the best-case end of the timeline. Speaking to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Patrick said the 26-year-old is tracking toward the shorter side of the six-to-nine-month recovery window after the procedure on April 22nd.
Even with that optimism, Sandin is still expected to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. That makes him a candidate to go on LTIR early if Washington needs some short-term cap room.
Sandin finished last season with 29 points in 73 games while averaging a little over 19 minutes per night.
The Flyers, meanwhile, don’t appear ready to hand Jett Luchanko a long look at center. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that Philadelphia plans to have the 20-year-old spend the entire season with AHL Lehigh Valley.
Luchanko has appeared in four regular-season games in each of the last two seasons, with the rest of his time going to the OHL. He put up 43 points in 38 regular-season games there last season, and the Flyers seem to think another year in the minors will help him get used to the pro game.
Trevor Zegras, who got some time down the middle late last season, is still an option to be tried at center in training camp.
In Other News...
Capitals Turn A Little-Known Goalie Role Into A Feel-Good Story
The Capitals have added an unusual new face to their hockey operation in Connor Leslie, a Washington-area local who will serve in the organizations first full-time emergency backup role. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes move that usually goes unnoticed, but in this case it carries a little more local flavor, with Leslie coming up through the areas youth hockey scene before moving on to junior hockey and then NCAA Division III at Amherst College.
For a player with that path, landing with the Capitals connects a longtime development story to the NHL level in a way that feels especially personal. Leslie said he was excited about the opportunity and about the tie to the teams youth hockey program, which adds another layer to a role designed for rare emergencies but now has a real human payoff attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Just Made An Unusual Goalie Decision Fans Should Notice
The Capitals have filled a niche role that rarely gets much attention, naming Connor Leslie as their full-time emergency backup goalie under the NHLs new collective bargaining agreement rules. It is an unusual but increasingly relevant job in a league that now has clearer standards for emergency netminders, and Washington made its choice with an eye toward someone who already had familiarity with the organization.
Leslie, a local player who graduated from Amherst College in 2025, meets the leagues requirements for the assignment and has had prior informal experience around the Capitals. It is the kind of decision that says as much about trust and fit as it does about goaltending, and it leaves open an interesting question for fans about how often a player in that spot could realistically be called upon. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Wilson Is Closing In On A Milestone Caps Fans Will Love
Tom Wilson has spent a long time being more than the label that followed him early in his career. The Capitals alternate captain grew from a fourth-line enforcer into a top-six winger who brings size, speed and edge, and his value to Washington has long gone well beyond the hits and agitation that made him famous first. He was part of the clubs 2018 Stanley Cup run, has worn Team Canada colors at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and has become one of the more important offensive pieces in the lineup.
Now there is another marker creeping into view for a player who has already changed the way he is viewed around the league. Wilson is closing in on a career milestone that would sit neatly alongside the rest of his resume, and it is the kind of number Capitals fans tend to appreciate because it reflects both longevity and production. For a player who once had to fight for every shift, the next step says as much about how far he has come as it does about what he still means to Washington. [Read more 🡒]