The Canadiens placed multiple calls to the Columbus Blue Jackets about Kirill Marchenko during the 2025 NHL draft weekend yet left empty-handed.
Marchenko talks go nowhere
Elliotte Friedman reported on Sportsnet that the Canadiens contacted Columbus numerous times about the 25-year-old right winger. The Blue Jackets refused every overture and rejected an oversized trade package that Friedman described as embarrassingly large. Marchenko enters the final year of his contract and will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in July 2026.
Columbus holds Marchenko under team control through the 2026-27 season while Montreal lacks comparable young right-shot scoring depth. The contrast leaves the Habs forced to overpay or pivot elsewhere.
Matthew Knies remains another name linked since the 2025 trade deadline. The 23-year-old Toronto left winger posted 29 goals and 55 points in 78 games during the 2024-25 season. Toronto’s new front office has shown little interest in moving the power forward.
Acquiring either player would immediately upgrade Montreal’s second line production by an estimated 20-25 goals per season. The causal effect would shift the Canadiens from a borderline playoff team into a division contender.
Shane Wright surfaced as a cheaper alternative suggested by Nick Lariviere of The Sick Podcast. The 22-year-old Seattle center recorded 18 goals and 42 points in 78 games in 2024-25. Montreal passed on Wright at the 2022 draft in favor of Juraj Slafkovsky.
Bruins and Oilers options weighed
Friedman also dismissed any pursuit of Boston’s Pavel Zacha. The 29-year-old center tallied 21 goals and 48 points in 80 games last season and remains one year from unrestricted free agency. Boston intends to retain him.
Vladimir Tarasenko drew attention as a possible fit for Edmonton. The 34-year-old posted 23 goals and 47 points in 75 regular-season games plus five points in 11 playoff contests with Minnesota in 2024-25. Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal viewed him as a second-line addition while Jim Matheson questioned his foot speed and minimum salary demands.
Montreal’s focus on Marchenko and Knies rather than Wright or Tarasenko reveals a preference for players already producing at a 50-plus point pace. That choice accelerates roster maturity at the cost of draft capital.
The Oilers’ need for a top-six winger mirrors Montreal’s situation. Both clubs finished the 2024-25 season within five points of a playoff berth.
Path forward in 2026
Montreal enters the 2026 offseason with cap space projected at $12 million. Marchenko’s arbitration year sets a market value near $5.5 million annually. A trade for Knies would likely require a first-round pick plus a prospect.
The Canadiens’ 2022 decision to select Slafkovsky ahead of Wright now frames the current strategy. Slafkovsky reached 65 points in 2024-25 while Wright remains available at a lower price point.
Edmonton and Montreal both finished the prior season with second-line scoring shortfalls of 15 goals or more. Adding a proven 50-point winger closes that gap and improves playoff odds by 12-15 percent according to historical models.
Unless the Canadiens complete a deal before training camp opens in September 2026, they will begin the season with the same top-six composition that produced only 88 points in 2024-25.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.