The Montreal Canadiens have received a significant boost in their pursuit of a top trade target. General manager Kent Hughes has been searching for another top-six forward all summer. So far, the club has not been able to strike a deal with another NHL team. Nevertheless, this could soon change.
There is no secret that Hughes and the Canadiens would love to acquire Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets. After all, the Russian has racked up 141 points in his last 155 games with his current club. Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell, however, has resisted sanctioning a deal. However, Hughes’ counterpart in Columbus recently made some interesting comments regarding his star forward.
During a recent appearance on The Eye Test podcast with Jimmy Murphy and Pierre McGuire, Waddell essentially hinted that Marchenko wants out of town. “Regardless of what the agent and Kirill want, he is an important part of our team, and he has a great cap hit,” said Waddell when asked about the Montreal Canadiens’ interest in the forward.
“I’m not replacing his talent or his goals at $3.85 million, that’s for sure… I’m listening, and that’s all I can do as a general manager. I can’t just close it off. I’ve got to say, tell me what you are thinking, and if it makes sense and helps the Columbus Blue Jackets, we’ll take a serious look at it.”
Montreal Canadiens Could Land Kirill Marchenko due to Columbus’ Financial Crunch
NHL insider and Montreal Canadiens writer Marco D’Amico took note of Waddell’s comments. According to the journalist, the Blue Jackets likely have to move on from Marchenko due to financial restraints. As of now, Columbus has $12.65 million in projected cap space, per PuckPedia.com. Nevertheless, they still have to give star center Adam Fantilli a new contract, and his AAV is expected to breach this particular figure.
“There is no hope for Don Waddell, in my opinion, to replace a guy like Marchenko, given their cap situation, unless they move out another player and weaken themselves further, than to trade Marchenko for high-end NHL, or close to it, assets that can help them this season and for the future,” D’Amico said on his latest podcast. “That’s my read of the situation.”
The Montreal Canadiens will look to take advantage of Columbus’ problem. While Marchenko’s current three-year, $11.5 million ($3.85 million AAV) is a bargain, he will be looking for at least $10 million AAV in his next deal. The Blue Jackets cannot afford this at the moment, but Hughes and Montreal can.
Montreal Holds an Advantage in Marchenko Sweepstakes
On top of having extra funds to use, the Montreal Canadiens also have some of the best trade assets in the NHL. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman recently ranked Montreal as having the third-best pipeline in hockey. The Canadiens also have a fairly packed NHL roster and could look to offload a veteran player as well.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently revealed that the New York Islanders are also interested in Marchenko. Montreal, however, would likely give Columbus a better offer than New York, and the Canadiens have more current cap space than the Islanders. Columbus, due to the Zach Werenski situation, cannot endure a full rebuild and must take the best offer for Marchenko, assuming they do trade him.
Canadiens Receive Big Boost in Chase for $11.5 Million Star