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Maple Leafs trade for Kirill Marchenko, sign $75M extension

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 6:07 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Maple Leafs Acquire Marchenko

Toronto Maple Leafs acquire winger Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a blockbuster trade.
The Leafs trade Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick to Columbus.
Columbus also receive goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (18 % salary retained) and winger Miles Wood.
Marchenko signs a six-year, $75 million extension at $12.5 million per season.
Toronto adds speed, pairing Marchenko with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares.

Summary

Columbus Trims Cap

Columbus Blue Jackets sit just under the $104 million cap ceiling with $93,313 in space after the trade.
Toronto Maple Leafs inherit Merzlikins, who remains on long-term injured reserve after shoulder surgery.
Columbus retained 18 % of Merzlikins’ $5.4 million salary, about $975,000, easing its cap burden.
Wood and Lorentz cleared waivers before the trade, becoming unrestricted assets for Toronto.
Marchenko’s $12.5 million AAV makes him Toronto’s second-highest paid player behind Auston Matthews.

Summary

Marchenko Reaches 30

Kirill Marchenko earned an NHL call-up after posting 19 points in his first 16 AHL games.
His first 13 NHL points came exclusively as goals.
He recorded his first NHL assist in February 2023 against Toronto.
NHL EDGE data rank him among league leaders in mid-range shot speed and high-burst skating.
He became the third Blue Jackets after Rick Nash and Nick Foligno to reach 30 goals and 70 points in a season.

History

Historical Context

The 2004-05 lockout ended in July 2005 when the NHL and NHLPA adopted a hard salary cap of US $39 million per team for the 2005-06 season. That cap, raised repeatedly in subsequent CBAs, created payroll room that teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs now use to add high-value players. The Marchenko trade to Toronto follows this cap-driven model.

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Maple Leafs Acquire Marchenko

Toronto Maple Leafs acquire winger Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a blockbuster trade.
The Leafs trade Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick to Columbus.
Columbus also receive goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (18 % salary retained) and winger Miles Wood.
Marchenko signs a six-year, $75 million extension at $12.5 million per season.
Toronto adds speed, pairing Marchenko with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares.

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