Maple Leafs acquire, sign Marchenko; Knies to Columbus in return

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs have added another skilled forward to their roster reload.

Toronto acquired winger Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a blockbuster trade Monday on the eve of the new NHL season, then signed the winger to a six-year, US$75 million contract. Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, announced the contract on his verified X account.

Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and winger Miles Wood are also headed to Toronto, while the Maple Leafs are parting with young power forward Matthew Knies, veteran centre Steven Lorentz, defenceman Emil Andrae and a second-round pick.

The Blue Jackets are retaining 18 per cent of Merzlikins’ salary.

Marchenko had 102 goals and 106 assists for 208 points across 292 games with Columbus after being selected 49th overall at the 2018 NHL draft.

The 26-year-old, who is heading into the final season of a contract with an average annual value of $3.85 million, led the Blue Jackets with 27 goals and added 40 assists last season to finish second in team scoring with 67 points in 76 contests.

In Knies, the Blue Jackets get a forward who battled injury last season, but still finished with a career-best 66 points (23 goals, 43 assists) in 79 contests.

Marchenko, who made his NHL debut in 2022 after beginning his professional career in the Russian-based KHL, joins Toronto after the club missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade despite a lineup featuring offensive stars Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares.

The winger from Barnaul, Russia, was selected by Columbus in the second round (49th overall) of the 2018 NHL draft.

The Maple Leafs appeared to be at a crossroads last spring with plenty of draft capital and prospects having already been shipped out of town for past post-season pushes, but got lucky and beat the draft lottery odds for the right to select winger Gavin McKenna first overall in June.

General manager John Chayka then went about a lineup renovation that included the additions of two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky in goal, Darren Raddysh on defence, and a supporting cast up front that now features Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Blueger.

The 23-year-old Knies was previously viewed as an important piece of Toronto’s future.

The six-foot-three, 223-pound winger selected 57th overall in 2021 had a career-high 29 goals along with 29 assists for 58 points across 78 games in 2024-25 playing on a line with Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Despite being on a team-friendly contract that counts $7.75 million against the salary cap through 2031, his name has been spinning in the rumour mill since the March trade deadline.

Chayka was asked about Knies — and why talk of his departure refuses to go away — when the team gathered for the start of training camp earlier this month.

The new GM pointed to discussions involving previous management as a potential reason.

“We’ve been consistent with Matthew that he’s an important part of our team,” Chayka said Sept 16. “As we think about winning games when it matters, the ability to have players that are good on the walls, good net-front, can play a physical game, finish checks, but also have the talent and skill level to make plays and score goals.

“Pretty hard to find.”

Merzlikins, a third-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2014, will not be ready to suit up for the Maple Leafs right away as he is currently on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

The 32-year-old from Riga, Latvia, had a 14-11-3 record with a 3.40 goals-against average and .993 save percentage in 30 appearances last season as a backup to Blue Jackets starter Jet Greaves.

The 31-year-old Wood, who was recently put on waivers, has 99 goals and 97 assists in 567 career games with New Jersey, Colorado and Columbus.

Lorentz, a Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers in 2024, had 15 goals and 22 assists over two seasons in Toronto.

Andrae ended a very short tenure in Toronto. The 24-year-old Swedish defenceman was acquired in a June trade with Philadelphia.

Andrae had three goals and 17 assists over 107 games with the Flyers, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press