Kirill Marchenko had an opportunity Friday to quiet the NHL trade rumors surrounding his future with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Instead, his answers may have ensured the speculation follows him straight into the 2026-27 season.
When Marchenko was pressed about whether Columbus is where he wants to play, the 26-year-old winger stopped well short of committing his future to the organization.
“I want to play hockey. That’s what I can say right now,” Marchenko told reporters Friday.
Later, Marchenko added: “I play hockey. I can talk only about hockey.”
Those comments matter because Marchenko has already been connected to the Montreal Canadiens, while Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has publicly acknowledged he will listen if a trade makes Columbus better. Marchenko also enters the final season of his contract carrying an extremely attractive $3.85 million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in 2027.
Does that mean a Canadiens trade is coming? No.
But if Montreal general manager Kent Hughes was interested before, Marchenko’s latest comments certainly haven’t done anything to close that door.
Why Kirill Marchenko Trade Rumors Aren’t Going Away
The important distinction here is that Marchenko did not request a trade Friday.
He also made a point of explaining that English is his second language and that he did not want his comments interpreted incorrectly. He praised his teammates and Columbus fans and said his focus remains preparing to play hockey.
That context can’t be ignored.
What also can’t be ignored, however, is what Marchenko didn’t say.
He was given several opportunities to make the kind of definitive statement players commonly make when they want to shut down speculation. He never clearly said Columbus was where he wanted to remain long term.
Sportsnet reported that Waddell and Marchenko recently had a 45-minute conversation, with Marchenko telling the GM he would work hard regardless of the speculation surrounding his future.
From my perspective, that’s the most interesting part of this entire situation.
Marchenko appears prepared to fulfil his responsibilities to the Blue Jackets. That isn’t necessarily the same thing as committing his future to them.
For Waddell, that creates a decision that could become increasingly difficult: keep an impact winger and attempt to repair the relationship, or move him while his production, contract and remaining team control give Columbus considerable leverage.
Why the Montreal Canadiens Still Make Sense for Marchenko
Montreal’s interest has never been difficult to understand.
Marchenko is 6-foot-3, shoots right and has developed into a legitimate top-six offensive winger. He recorded 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games in 2025-26, one season after producing career highs of 31 goals and 74 points in 79 games. He also generated 218 shots last season.
The Canadiens already possess elite young offensive pieces in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky. Adding another large, skilled winger capable of approaching 30 goals would make Montreal’s forward group considerably more difficult to match up against.
More importantly, Marchenko’s age fits Montreal’s competitive window.
This isn’t a 32-year-old rental Montreal would be acquiring for one playoff run. Marchenko is 26 and remains an RFA after this season.
That combination of age, production and team control is precisely why I don’t believe Columbus would accept a package consisting primarily of draft picks and prospects.
Waddell recently explained that Columbus cannot simply remove Marchenko’s production from the lineup without replacing it. Reporting surrounding those comments indicated that the Blue Jackets would be looking for a roster player, particularly one capable of helping immediately.
That could ultimately be the biggest obstacle for Kent Hughes.
Those numbers also explain why Columbus can afford to be patient. Marchenko’s 2023-24 season now looks like the beginning of his offensive breakout rather than his ceiling. He followed 42 points with consecutive seasons of 67-plus points while increasing his role and shot volume.
Canadiens Salary Cap Calculator: Can Montreal Fit Marchenko?
Marchenko’s contract is one reason his trade value remains so high.
His $3.85 million cap hit is exceptionally manageable for a winger producing at his level. His contract expires after 2026-27, but because he is scheduled to become an RFA rather than a UFA, the acquiring team would retain negotiating control.
Montreal’s situation requires some context because several contracts were completed immediately before training camp.
Our salary cap snapshot following the Chris Kreider signing shows approximately $7.634 million in projected Montreal cap space. The Canadiens subsequently signed Zachary Bolduc for $4.2 million annually and Arber Xhekaj for $1.5 million. Using those figures as an illustrative calculation produces roughly $1.934 million before additional opening-roster adjustments.
The larger point isn’t whether Montreal has exactly $1.93 million available today. It’s that this is not an impossible contract to accommodate, particularly if a roster player with salary attached is required to go back to Columbus anyway.
And that brings us directly to the price.
NHLTradeRumor.com Trade Value Index: Marchenko Is Not a Typical Rental
Any Montreal proposal needs to acknowledge that Columbus isn’t trading a distressed rental.
Marchenko is productive, affordable, entering his prime and still team-controlled.
My proprietary trade-value model weighs recent production, age/upside, contract efficiency, remaining control, positional value and the selling team’s leverage.
An 88/100 score doesn’t mean Montreal should offer a specific player or draft pick. It illustrates why I would expect Columbus to demand considerably more than the traditional prospect-plus-pick package.
Waddell’s comments reinforce that conclusion. He has essentially acknowledged the dilemma: replacing Marchenko’s goals and production at a $3.85 million cap hit is extremely difficult.
If Montreal wants him, Hughes may have to construct a hockey trade rather than an asset-collection trade.
Did Marchenko’s Comments Really Reopen the Canadiens Door?
I believe Friday’s comments make this situation worth watching again, but there is an important line between trade speculation and confirmed trade talks.
There is currently no verified report that Hughes and Waddell have restarted negotiations or that Marchenko has specifically requested Montreal.
What has changed is the temperature around the player.
Marchenko arrived at training camp, spoke publicly and had the opportunity to put the speculation behind him. Instead, he repeatedly redirected questions about his future toward his agent and Waddell.
That’s noteworthy.
My read is that Columbus does not have to trade Marchenko immediately. The Blue Jackets can begin the season with him, evaluate offers and wait to see whether another team becomes more aggressive.
But the longer Marchenko remains unwilling to publicly commit to Columbus beyond this season, the more his name will remain in NHL trade rumors.
And if Waddell eventually decides the right roster player is available, the Montreal Canadiens should remain one of the teams worth watching.
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