The Montreal Canadiens acted swiftly during the offseason, signing several of their free agent players to new contracts, including Ivan Demidov, Jakub Dobes, Alex Newhook, and Arber Xhekaj.
Canadiens fans can rest assured knowing that their window of contention has only just begun opening, as they have several of their key core players under contract for the foreseeable future.
However, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes could soon have an opportunity to add a proven offensive-minded player who would further boost Montreal’s chances of success.
Could The Montreal Canadiens Make A Play For Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Kirill Marchenko?
The Blue Jackets have had to face uncomfortable questions about two different key players in recent months, starting with the future of Norris Trophy winning defenseman Zach Werenski, along with former 74-point forward Kirill Marchenko.
Additionally, top forward Adam Fantilli has yet to report to Camp, adding another layer of uncertainty to the upcoming season in Columbus.
Marchenko, who is entering the final year of his current contract, didn’t exactly make it sound like he was itching to sign a long-term extension in Columbus during a recent interview at Blue Jackets Training Camp.
“I can talk only about hockey,” Marchenko said when asked about his contract status. “It’s not my side, [the] business side. It’s on [Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell] and Dan [Milstein], and they [will] figure out everything. My goal [is] to be ready, on the ice.”
“It’s too many good questions right now,” he continued. “I want to play hockey. That’s what I can say right now, and I don’t want to give you guys a lot of things. I just love [my] teammates, I love to enjoy the practices and enjoy the hockey. It’s my favorite thing in the world, and I just do my job.”
Entering the final year of his deal before he’s eligible to become a restricted free agent, Marchenko’s salary cap hit for 2026-27 is $3,850,000.
Kirill Marchenko Has Played His Entire NHL Career With The Blue Jackets
Marchenko was taken by the Blue Jackets in the second round (49th overall pick) of the 2018 NHL Draft, and he began his North American career with the American Hockey League affiliate Cleveland Monsters. After registering an impressive 19 points in 16 games, he earned his first NHL call-up in December 2022.
He would score his first NHL goal in his fourth game and later became the first rookie that season to record a hat trick. Marchenko continued to produce throughout his debut campaign, finishing with 21 goals and setting a Blue Jackets new rookie record for goals.
He added another natural hat trick against Buffalo in December 2023 before signing a three-year, $11.55 million contract with Columbus in July 2024. It was in the 2024-25 NHL season that he reached a career-best 74 points, scoring 31 goals with 43 assists.
That number dipped slightly to 67 points last season, as he tallied 27 goals with 40 assists in 76 games played.
So far in his NHL career, Marchenko has scored 102 goals with 106 assists in 292 games. But he’s still waiting to appear in his first Stanley Cup Playoff action.
Canadiens Could Be In Prime Position To Land 74-Point Forward