- May 21, 2026
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On the eve of the NHL’s 2026-27 campaign, the league saw one last offseason blockbuster.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets completed a last-minute trade that centered around forwards Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies, with the Leafs immediately extending Marchenko to a six-year, $75-million contract with an annual cap hit of $12.5 million.
The Russian winger has scored at least 20 goals in each of his four NHL seasons and reached career highs in 2024-25 with 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points. That production could skyrocket if the 26-year-old Marchenko is lined up with three-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy-winner Auston Matthews.
Read more: Anthony Trudeau’s Daily Faceoff trade grades for the Marchenko-Knies trade
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss Monday’s trade and how Marchenko will fit in Toronto’s lineup.
Carter Hutton: Marchenko is a star. This is a player that is a difference maker when he is on the ice. He’s still relatively young, and yes, his extension kicks in next season. I think the way this played out, for me, is the factor that you’re getting the best-possible player to be there, and I think he’s going to be a guy who pushes the pace better with Matthews.
With Matthews and Marchenko, how do you stop that one-two punch? I think at the end of the day, that’s how John Chayka and Mats Sundin saw this trade going down.
Tyler Yaremchuk: I’m with you in the sense that when they move Marchenko to the top line with Matthews, that can be a duo that is very, very dangerous. He can create a lot more space, even off the rush, for Matthews.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…
Continue reading...
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets completed a last-minute trade that centered around forwards Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies, with the Leafs immediately extending Marchenko to a six-year, $75-million contract with an annual cap hit of $12.5 million.
The Russian winger has scored at least 20 goals in each of his four NHL seasons and reached career highs in 2024-25 with 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points. That production could skyrocket if the 26-year-old Marchenko is lined up with three-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy-winner Auston Matthews.
Read more: Anthony Trudeau’s Daily Faceoff trade grades for the Marchenko-Knies trade
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss Monday’s trade and how Marchenko will fit in Toronto’s lineup.
Carter Hutton: Marchenko is a star. This is a player that is a difference maker when he is on the ice. He’s still relatively young, and yes, his extension kicks in next season. I think the way this played out, for me, is the factor that you’re getting the best-possible player to be there, and I think he’s going to be a guy who pushes the pace better with Matthews.
With Matthews and Marchenko, how do you stop that one-two punch? I think at the end of the day, that’s how John Chayka and Mats Sundin saw this trade going down.
Tyler Yaremchuk: I’m with you in the sense that when they move Marchenko to the top line with Matthews, that can be a duo that is very, very dangerous. He can create a lot more space, even off the rush, for Matthews.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…
Continue reading...