Kirill Marchenko Trade 2026: Leafs Land Winger, Sign $75M Deal

The Kirill Marchenko trade sent Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick from Toronto to Columbus on Monday, Sept. 28, with the Maple Leafs getting Marchenko, forward Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins back. A day later, the Leafs announced a six-year contract extension for Marchenko. His agent, Dan Milstein, put the value at $75 million with a $12.5 million cap hit, per TSN.

TSN reported the deal landed one day before the start of the season.

Kirill Marchenko Trade 2026: The Full Terms

Here is the six-player deal as reported by ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, with ages per ESPN and contract details from ESPN and TSN.

| To Toronto | To Columbus | |-|-| | F Kirill Marchenko, 26 | F Matthew Knies, 23 | | F Miles Wood, 31 | F Steven Lorentz, 30 | | G Elvis Merzlikins, 32 | D Emil Andrae, 24 | | | 2027 second-round pick |

Columbus is retaining 18% of Merzlikins' salary, per ESPN, and TSN's Pierre LeBrun put that salary at $5.4 million in 2026-27. That works out to about $972,000 staying on the Blue Jackets' books. The draft pick will be the later of Winnipeg's or Columbus' 2027 second-rounders, a selection Toronto originally acquired from Seattle on March 6, according to ESPN.

Merzlikins is in the final year of his deal and is out indefinitely after shoulder surgery in August, per ESPN.

The $75 Million Extension

The Maple Leafs' official release, dated Sept. 29, confirmed a six-year extension but did not list the money. The dollar figures come from Milstein, who announced on social media that the deal runs six years and $75 million with a $12.5 million cap hit, per TSN. NHL.com reported the contract starts next season, according to the agent.

Until then, Marchenko plays out the final year of his current deal at a $3.85 million cap hit, per ESPN and TSN. ESPN and NHL.com both reported he was in line to become a restricted free agent after this season. TSN instead described him as a pending unrestricted free agent, so the sources disagree on that point.

Knies, by comparison, carries a $7.75 million cap hit on a six-year, $46.5 million contract he is entering the second season of, per TSN. TSN noted that Knies' cap hit is just under $4 million more than Marchenko's this season, and the gap is $3.9 million.

What Toronto Gets in Marchenko

The production is real. Marchenko had 27 goals and 40 assists in 76 games for Columbus in 2025-26, and he has 208 points (102 goals, 106 assists) in 292 career NHL games, per the Maple Leafs. ESPN reported he led the Blue Jackets in goals in each of the past three seasons. Columbus took him in the second round, 49th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.

The move did not come out of nowhere. ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported in June that Marchenko wanted a change of scenery, per Milstein. In July, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said, "Marchenko is going to be a Blue Jacket when the season starts," according to TSN.

The swap is closer to even on paper than the headline suggests. Knies had 23 goals and 43 assists for 66 points in 79 games last season, per ESPN, against Marchenko's 67 points in 76 games.

Early Returns With Matthews and Roslovic

Marchenko had an assist in his Maple Leafs debut on Tuesday, Sept. 29, a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, per NHL.com. Toronto then played again Wednesday, Sept. 30, and across those two games he averaged 19:12 of ice time with one assist.

He has been skating on a line with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic, according to NHL.com. Friday's practice on Oct. 2 was his first with his new linemates. Marchenko told reporters it had been "kind of tough because we had zero practice before today." Coach Jim Hiller said, "I think they found some chemistry out there today."

For the full league view, the NHL Stanley Cup odds 2026-27 board puts Toronto in context against the contenders.

Betting Impact: Cup Odds and Tonight's Line

BET99 had Toronto at +2900 to win the Stanley Cup as of Sept. 28, per Sports Betting Dime, which works out to about a 3.3% implied probability. Florida led that board at +640, ahead of Carolina (+700), Colorado (+750), Edmonton (+800) and Vegas (+1000). On Kalshi, Sports Betting Dime reported that Toronto's hourly price showed little reaction to the trade and held at 3 cents through Monday afternoon.

Sports Betting Dime also flagged goaltending as the bigger issue. Merzlikins posted a 3.40 goals-against average and .883 save percentage in 30 games last season, per TSN, and he cannot help while injured. Sports Betting Dime noted Toronto finished 32-36-14 and missed the playoffs last season.

For tonight, DraftKings had Toronto at -120 and Ottawa at +100 on the moneyline, with the total at 6.5 (over +105, under -125), per ESPN's game data on Oct. 3. At -120, the Leafs carry about a 54.5% implied win probability. Marchenko's minutes alongside Matthews make him a natural candidate for points props and DFS stacks with Matthews. StatSniper's AI sports picks hub and the NHL daily picks page post model reads on games like this one before puck drop.

What to Watch Next

Toronto hosts the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. ET, per NHL.com. That is the first game since Marchenko's first practice with Matthews and Roslovic, so watch whether the line stays together and whether his ice time holds near the 19:12 he averaged in his first two games.

Merzlikins' recovery timeline is still open. The official details on the signing are in the Maple Leafs' extension announcement on NHL.com.

Chad AI tracks every NHL line, prop and futures move inside the StatSniper app, so you can follow how this trade plays out night by night on Chad.

FAQ

What did the Maple Leafs give up in the Kirill Marchenko trade? Toronto sent Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick to Columbus. The Leafs received Marchenko, Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins, with Columbus retaining 18% of Merzlikins' salary.

How much is Kirill Marchenko's new contract worth? His agent, Dan Milstein, said the six-year extension is worth $75 million with a $12.5 million cap hit, per TSN. NHL.com reported it starts next season. He carries a $3.85 million cap hit this season.

How did Marchenko play in his Maple Leafs debut? He had an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sept. 29, per NHL.com. He has since been skating on a line with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic.

What are the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup odds after the trade? BET99 had Toronto at +2900 as of Sept. 28, per Sports Betting Dime, with Florida the favorite at +640.

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