COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After saying that Kirill Marchenko would be with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the start of the season, general manager Don Waddell dealt the forward as part of a major seven-player deal to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday as NHL teams were finalizing their opening week rosters.
The Blue Jackets also dealt goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and left wing Miles Wood to the Maple Leafs for left wing Matthew Knies, defenseman Emil Andrae,
center Steven Lorentz and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Marchenko was in the last year of his contract, but agreed to a six-year $75 million extension with the Maple Leafs. He relayed to Columbus' front office before the draft in June that he didn't intend to sign an extension with the Blue Jackets.
Waddell said the situation with Marchenko and star defenseman Zach Werenski were not the same. The Norris Trophy winner also said during the offseason he wasn't ready to sign an extension, but also vetoed a trade to the Dallas Stars.
“I’ve had discussions with his agent, which we won’t discuss right now, but Marchenko’s going to be a Blue Jackets when the season starts,” Waddell said on July 2.
The 26-year old Russian was a second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2018 draft. He didn't make his NHL debut until 2022, but tied or led the team in scoring the past three seasons.
Marchenko had a team-high 27 goals last season and was second in points with 67. He had 102 goals and 208 points during his four seasons in Columbus.
In Knies, the Blue Jackets get a forward who battled injuries last season, but still finished with a career-best 66 points, including 23 goals. He is expected to be on one of the top two scoring lines.
The 23-year-old Knies was previously viewed as an important piece of Toronto’s future. He had a career-high 29 goals and 58 points in 2024-25 playing on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
“Matthew is a big, strong power forward who combines tough, hard-nosed physical play with outstanding offensive skills,” Waddell said in a statement after the trade was announced. “He is a young player with great character and work ethic and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.”
Merzlikins is currently on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He had a 14-11-3 record with a 3.40 goals-against average and .993 save percentage in 30 appearances last season as a backup to Blue Jackets starter Jet Greaves.
Wood, recently put on waivers, has 99 goals and 97 assists in 567 career games with New Jersey, Colorado and Columbus.
Lorentz, a Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers in 2024, had 15 goals and 22 assists over two seasons in Toronto.
Andrae ended a very short tenure in Toronto. He was acquired in a June trade with Philadelphia. Andrae had three goals and 17 assists over 107 games with the Flyers, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft.
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