Columbus Blue Jackets reportedly trade Marchenko, Merzlikins, Wood to Toronto Maple Leafs

Kirill Marchenko won’t be staying with the Blue Jackets after all, and neither will Elvis Merzlikins and depth forward Miles Wood.

Columbus Blue Jackets GM shuts down Kirill Marchenko trade talk

According to reports, all three were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 28 for power forward Matthew Knies, forward Steven Morentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a second-round pick. After telling reporters July 2 that Marchenko would, “be a Blue Jacket once the season starts,” Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell appears to have traded the star right wing instead.

As part of the deal, the Maple Leafs were granted permission to negotiate with Marchenko’s agent and they hammered out a six-year, $75 million contract extension that starts next season. Marchenko has one season left on his current contract, which counts just $3.85 million against the NHL’s salary cap,

Given what’s transpired the past couple years with the NHL’s salary cap skyrocketing and no foreseeable end to it, top young RFA forwards have gotten massive salary boosts this summer. The Blue Jackets recently locked up star center Adam Fantilli for a six-year, $82.5 million contract extension.

According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Blue Jackets permitted Toronto to speak with Marchenko about a contract extension.

Merzlikins, meanwhile, has been rehabbing from an Aug. 17 shoulder surgery and has resided on the Blue Jackets’ injured reserve. He is in the final season of a five-year contract with a $5.4 million salary-cap hit that’s paying him $4.22 million this season. Merzlikins and his wife, Aleksandra, are selling a 6,026-square-foot house in New Albany for a $2.9 million listing price, according to a RedFin listing.

Knies, 23, had 23 goals and 43 assists in his third full season for the Maple Leafs while averaging 18:48 minutes on the ice. He was selected 57th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

end Kirill Marchenko speculation by trading him

Leading up to the NHL Draft in late June, trade rumors about Marchenko materialized around the same time that reports surfaced about Blue Jackets star defenseman Zach Werenski not wanting to stay beyond the final two years of his contract.

Waddell was deluged by calls from opposing GMs, while Blue Jackets fans followed in disbelief.

The Montreal Canadiens showed the most interest in Marchenko, and their pursuit continued after the draft began. It then intensified before the Blue Jackets picked 14th overall, after ESPN’s Kevin Weekes revealed that “Marchenko’s camp” had informed him the star forward wasn’t interested in signing a long-term extension in Columbus.

Trade interest in Werenski was even hotter until he vetoed a trade to the Dallas Stars on July 1, which led to statements being released by both he and Waddell saying the Blue Jackets’ Norris Trophy winning defenseman wanted to stay with the Blue Jackets.

Neither provided a timeline for that wish, but Waddell said he expected Werenski and Marchenko to show up for training camp in September and play for the Blue Jackets this season.

“I don’t lump the two together,” Waddell said. “I’ve had discussions with [Marchenko’s] agent [Dan Milstein], which we won’t discuss right now, but Marchenko’s going to be a Blue Jacket once the season starts.”

Not anymore.

Marchenko, selected by the Blue Jackets in the second round (49th overall) of the 2018 draft, will take his goal-scoring prowess, elite shootout moves and infectiously entertaining personality to Seattle while the Blue Jackets welcome an impressive haul from the Kraken.

Dispatch Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com

Trending sports reporter Dan Aulbach contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets reportedly trade Marchenko, Merzlikins, Wood to Toronto Maple Leafs