Maple Leafs acquire Marchenko, sign him to six-year extension

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  Greg WyshynskiSep 28, 2026, 05:38 PM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko in a blockbuster trade on the eve of the NHL regular season.

The Leafs traded top-line winger Matthew Knies, forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick for Marchenko, forward Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, a source said.

Marchenko, 26, led the Blue Jackets in goals in each of the last three seasons, amassing 81 goals in 233 games. After he was drafted 49th overall in 2018, Marchenko had 208 points in 292 games with the Blue Jackets, skating to a plus-8. He's expected to slot onto the Leafs' top line with star center Auston Matthews.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported in June that Marchenko wanted a change in scenery, per his agent Dan Milstein. When Marchenko reported to Blue Jackets camp, he vaguely answered questions about his future and refused to say whether Columbus was still where he wanted to play.

Marchenko and Milstein were given permission to negotiate a contract extension with the Maple Leafs, who signed the forward to a six-year extension with a $12.5 million cap hit. Marchenko has one more year on his current contract ($3.85 million) and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer.

Wood, 31, is a hard-working depth forward entering his 12th NHL season. His contract runs through 2029 with a $2.5 million AAV. Merzlikins, 32, had been the Blue Jackets' starting goalie for the better part of his seven years with the franchise until rookie Jet Greaves took the crease last season. Merzlikins is in the last year of a contract with a $5.4 million cap hit but is currently out indefinitely after failing a physical at the start of training camp following shoulder surgery in August. The Blue Jackets are retaining some salary on Merzlikins.

The centerpiece of the deal for Columbus is Knies, 23, a power winger entering his fifth NHL season and signed through 2031. Drafted 57th overall in 2021 by Toronto, the Arizona native had 66 points in 79 games (23 goals, 43 assists) last season. Knies has seen his name in trade rumors for at least two seasons. His contract carries a $7.75 million average annual value.

Lorentz, 30, is signed through 2028 ($1.35 million AAV). So is Andrae, 24, a defenseman that the Leafs acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason.