As August approaches and hockey fans impatiently wait for the Canadiens’ golf tournament in September and the start of training camp, things are getting crazy.
There’s little cogent news to captivate interest. And the continued retooling of the Laval Rocket — Sean Farrell is the latest to exit, traded on Monday to Anaheim for Sasha Pastujov — oscillates between ho and hum.
And so it has come to this, with seemingly daily updates and speculation on social media linking Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko to the Canadiens. There’s a reason why the late, and legendary, Gazette hockey columnist Red Fisher never dealt in rumours.
Would Marchenko, a 6-foot-3, 201-pound right-winger, help the Canadiens? Of course. So would plenty of other NHL regulars, whether they’re available or not.
The talented 26-year-old Russian forward would provide immediate offence for the Canadiens. He had 27 goals and 40 assists in 76 games for the Blue Jackets last season. Selected in the second round (49th overall) in 2018, Marchenko has never scored fewer than 21 goals over four NHL seasons and produced a career-high 31 in 2024-25.
But Columbus only scored 253 goals last season — 30 fewer than Montreal. The Blue Jackets went 2-7-1 down the stretch to fall out of playoff contention. With one goal and two assists during the team’s final five games, Marchenko did little to improve his team’s chances of qualifying for post-season play, yet was thrust into a position on a club with less talent than the Canadiens and was expected to produce.
Still, Marchenko would add size and speed to a Canadiens roster that must get bigger. He has a good shot, can release the puck in transition and excels off the rush. Entering the third and final year of his US$11.55 million contract, with a team-friendly cap hit of US$3.85 million, the financial burden can hardly be considered onerous.
There’s one more intriguing element to this scenario.
Marchenko is represented by Dan Milstein, who also handles gifted Russian Ivan Demidov. Demidov led all NHL rookies with 62 points last season, including a respectable 19 goals. And on July 1, general manager Kent Hughes announced an eight-year, US$73.2-million contract extension for Demidov that takes effect starting in 2027-28.
Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson tries to lift stick of Columbus Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko in Montreal on March 26. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
Unlike numerous other agents who remain in the background, Milstein is active on social media and appears more than willing to engage with reporters and fans. His X account (@HockeyAgent1) has 33,200 followers, and he has done his best to refute speculation that Marchenko is en route to Montreal.
“Last time I checked there were some pretty steep tariffs on exporting elite talent to or from Canada right now,” he wrote on Saturday. That neither confirms nor denies anything; it only reinforces the belief Marchenko will come at a heavy price.
Marchenko and Demidov on the Canadiens’ second line would probably improve the team, although it still wouldn’t solve Montreal’s biggest concern — finding a second-line centre to complement these talented players.
What isn’t known is whether Marchenko wants to remain in Columbus or if he sees a future with the team. Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has said Marchenko will be on the team when the season starts. That’s nice.
Will Marchenko, who doesn’t have a no-trade clause, remain with Columbus after the trade deadline next season? That’s less likely, especially should Waddell and Milstein be unable to agree on a new contract. The Blue Jackets won’t want to lose such an important asset without getting anything in return. And the price would be steep.
Waddell could easily demand one of the Canadiens’ top prospects — forwards Michael Hage or Alexander Zharovsky — a first-round draft choice and another player. And there are certainly many Canadiens that appear to be available, starting with frequently injured forward Kirby Dach. Or defencemen Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble.
Dach, however, wouldn’t necessarily provide the offensive upgrade Columbus would require for the void created by Marchenko’s departure. The Blue Jackets had four 20-goal scorers last season — as did the Canadiens — and would require a player to complement Adam Fantilli.
As for Xhekaj or Struble, they would help Norris Trophy-winning defenceman Zach Werenski. And the Canadiens have Laval prospects Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher waiting in the wings, hoping to secure blue-line spots.
Werenski has two years remaining on his six-year, US$57.5-million contract. This summer, there was speculation Werenski was unlikely to re-sign with Columbus, sparking trade discussions. But Werenski rejected a potential deal to Dallas, and released a joint statement with Waddell, confirming his desire to win with the Blue Jackets.
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If the Canadiens pull the trigger on Marchenko, it would behoove Hughes to ensure he can be signed to a contract extension — he can’t be a one-season rental. Hughes has proven to be smart, diligent and patient. He doesn’t make rash moves. And he won’t this time.
If nothing else, maybe the Canadiens will eventually announce the re-signing of restricted free agents Zachary Bolduc and Xhekaj, providing everyone with some much-needed news.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com