"I don’t know if the trade rumours will ever stop around here.” —John Chayka, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Monday
TORONTO — Mere hours before Monday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2026-27 roster appeared set. Start writing names in ink.
But John Chayka, arguably the NHL’s most aggressive GM over a newsy off-season, had one more big swing in him.
Chayka acquired one of the best offensive weapons on the market, the Columbus Blue Jackets' Kirill Marchenko, at the final hour in exchange for a package centred around power forward Matthew Knies.
Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins and forward Miles Wood are headed to Toronto as well. The recently waived Steven Lorentz, depth defenceman Emil Andrae, and a second-round draft pick were shipped to Ohio. (Merzlikins is currently injured, and Wood has already cleared waivers.)
This is a blockbuster, and one that will be analyzed for years to come, make no mistake.
The deal hinged on Marchenko — the Blue Jackets’ leading goal scorer three seasons running and an impending restricted free agent with arbitration rights — successfully negotiating a contract extension in Toronto.
The 26-year-old Russian sniper and his agent, Dan Milstein, were granted permission by Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell to talk numbers with the Leafs. The sides agreed on a six-year, $75-million extension that carries a $12.5-million cap hit.
Marchenko’s 2027-28 AAV will exceed William Nylander’s $11.5 million and slide in under Auston Matthews’ $13.25 million.
Marchenko had previously told Columbus that he did not intend to re-sign with the club long-term and has been on the trade block all summer. He likes playing hockey. Just not for the Blue Jackets.
As for Knies — a 23-year-old horse coming off a career-best 66-point campaign despite nursing a knee injury — his team-friendly $7.75-million cap hit gives Waddell a nice piece of cost certainty through 2030-31. And the constant trade rumours have finally been put to rest.
A rare value piece without trade protection, Knies had been dangled as trade bait by former Leafs GM Brad Treliving, who explored dealing the left winger to Montreal for futures at the 2026 trade deadline. Chayka previously spoke to Waddell about including Knies in a potential Zach Werenski whopper around the opening of free agency.
Knies was enjoying a European summer vacation with his girlfriend and some buddies at Italy’s Lake Como and the Greek islands when his name resurfaced in July’s rumour mill.
“There’s not much you could really do. You know, you could ask: ‘What’s true? What’s not true?’ But a lot of it’s kind of out of my hands, out of my control,” Knies told Sportsnet.ca in a sit-down earlier this month. “I had a pretty important summer just trying to get back to 100 per cent and get healthy. So, that was kind of my main focus.
“I feel like I gotta earn my right to play for this team and show that I’m a valuable piece. You don’t want to be parting ways with me. But (rumours) are part of the business. It happens around the league all the time. So, I’m pretty fortunate that I’m still here. I'm still wearing the Blue and White. And that’s all I can think about — just this season and staying a Maple Leaf.”
Despite those wishes, Knies had what Chayka described as a "quiet camp." He watched as the new GM traded away friends Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit. And he lost his net-front spot on the top power-play to newcomer Jack Roslovic. (Roslovic could now lose that spot to fellow righty Marchenko, no?)
The trade for speedy Marchenko, who is farther along his development curve than Knies, underscores Chayka’s designs of turning the NHL’s fifth-worst team last spring into a contender immediately.
It also strengthens the executive’s vision to assemble a fast group with an emphasis on creativity and rush offence.
The six-foot-three, 201-pound Marchenko is one year removed from his breakout 31-goal, 74-point campaign, and his career shooting percentage is an impressive 13.6 per cent. The man can score. He also has had success playing both his natural right wing and taking shifts on his off side.
Should the younger Knies make good on his vow to bounce back this season and reach the ceiling some expect, there is a world where Chayka regrets this trade.
But on Monday afternoon, the Maple Leafs went out and got a more dangerous player for right now. (They also simultaneously kept arch-rival Montreal away from both Knies and Marchenko; the Canadiens like both players.)
And right now is all that matters for a roster hell-bent on not only returning to the playoffs but jacking up their pace of play and scoring their way into contention.
Fox’s Fast Five: Roster Edition
• Kudos to Bo Groulx, who started camp with the Marlies group and appeared a long shot to make the big club, until Lorentz got waived.
Groulx’s body of work as an impressive late-season call-up and Calder Cup champion, plus his modest cap hit and ability to play on a third or fourth line, won him the gig. Hey, no other 2026 Calder Cup winner got such a promotion.
• We approve of fourth-line enforcer Zack MacEwen starting Tuesday versus Montreal. Those Xhekaj brothers could be running around. Set the tone.
• Andrae was framed as the centrepiece return of the Woll-Benoit trade. He leaves having never played a regular-season shift for Toronto and underwhelmed at camp. PTO Nick Blankenburg walked in and stole his job.
• Dakota Joshua (core injury) has now been labelled week-to-week and will start on injured reserve. Max Domi (LTIR) hasn’t skated with the club since last season. Chayka says Domi will address his botched surgery and delayed recovery at some point.
• In speaking with No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky about his ideal workload for the season, Chayka noted that the 38-year-old stressed the importance of setting No. 2 goalie Anthony Stolarz up for success in his starts as well.
Chayka told reporters that he’d never heard a starter go to bat for his backup quite like that.
Maple Leafs projected 2026-27 Opening Night roster
Marchenko – Matthews – Roslovic
McKenna – Tavares – Nylander
Cowan – Paul – Sissons
Duhaime – Blueger – MacEwen
Extras: Groulx, Joshua (IR), Domi (LTIR)
McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Raddysh
Ekman-Larsson – Stecher
Extra: Blankenburg
Bobrovsky
Stolarz
Extra: Merzlikins (IR)
9:59
