The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Kirill Marchenko in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Matthew Knies are involved in a six-player trade
The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly acquired Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a six-player trade, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Marchenko has been in the trade rumor mill for long stretches of the off-season, and certainly in the lead-up to the start of the 2026-27 regular season.
The 26-year-old Russian is a pending RFA, earning $3.85 million against the salary cap in the final season of his three-year contract.
Left winger Matthew Knies is the biggest piece going to the Blue Jackets from the Maple Leafs. Columbus also received forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a second-round pick. The second-rounder is a 2027 conditional pick, per PuckPedia.
Going Toronto's way, along with Marchenko, are left winger Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.
It was also reported by TSN's Pierre LeBrun that the Blue Jackets retained 18 percent of Merzlikins' $5.4-million salary. He's in the last year of his contract and is currently out indefinitely as he recovers from shoulder surgery in late August.
Wood, 31, has three years remaining on his contract at a $2.5-million cap hit with a six-team no-trade list. He was placed on waivers by Columbus on Saturday.
Knies had 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games for the Leafs. Lorentz, who was recently placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs, scored seven goals and 18 points in 71 games last year.
Andrae gets moved before making a regular-season appearance in Toronto. He was acquired by Toronto from the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in the off-season. The Leafs' back end was filled with depth, especially after the team signed Nick Blankenburg to a standard contract.
Last season with Columbus, Marchenko scored 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games. The year before that, he notched a career-high 31 goals and 74 points in 79 appearances.
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