Kirill Marchenko traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, signs six-year contract

Kirill Marchenko, a 26-year-old winger, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of a six-player deal that sent Matthew Knies back to Columbus. The package going to Toronto also includes winger Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, while Knies, winger Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft went to Columbus.

As the NHL reports, Marchenko signed a six-year contract worth $75 million, averaging $12.5 million per year, starting next season; he could have become a restricted free agent after this season. Marchenko is entering his fifth season since being selected by the Blue Jackets in the second round of the 2018 Draft (No. 49).

In the 2025-26 season he scored 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 76 games, leading Columbus in goals and finishing second in points. In his career he has 208 points (102 goals, 106 assists) in 292 regular-season games. Matthew Knies, 23, posted a career-best season with 66 points (23 goals, 43 assists) in 79 games and had previously signed a six-year contract worth $46.5 million. Elvis Merzlikins has a career record of 108-111-38 with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage in 274 regular-season games, while Miles Wood, Steven Lorentz and Emil Andrae arrive with the experience and statistics listed in the clubs’ files.

Toronto will open the 2026-27 season at home against the Montreal Canadiens, while Columbus opens the championship at home against the Buffalo Sabres; the changes are expected to affect the lineups for the season’s first games, according to the NHL.