Maple Leafs acquire Kirill Marchenko in blockbuster trade with Blue Jackets

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday in a six-player trade and signed him to a six-year, $75 million contract extension.

Heading to Columbus are forwards Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz, defenceman Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round draft pick.

The Maple Leafs also received goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and forward Miles Wood in the deal, with the Blue Jackets retaining 18 per cent of Merzlikins’ $5.4 million salary.

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“I don’t know if the trade rumours will ever stop around here,” Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka said Monday.

Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, announced the contract extension on social media. It carries an average annual value of $12.5 million.

The 26-year-old winger had told the Blue Jackets he did not intend to sign a long-term extension with the club. He was a pending unrestricted free agent after this season, with a current cap hit of $3.85 million.

“I’ve had discussions with his agent, which we won’t discuss right now, but Marchenko is going to be a Blue Jacket when the season starts,” Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said in July.

Waddell told reporters Monday that talks with Toronto were on-again, off-again for weeks before picking back up once news of a possible deal was made public.

Marchenko posted 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season, leading the Blue Jackets in goals for the third straight year.

In Knies, the Blue Jackets get a 23-year-old power forward coming off a career-best 66-point season. He is entering the second year of a six-year, $46.5 million contract with a $7.75 million cap hit.

“Matthew is a big, strong power forward who combines tough, hard-nosed physical play with outstanding offensive skills,” Waddell said in a team release. “He is a young player with great character and work ethic, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.”

Knies, who was drafted 57th overall by Toronto in 2021, had been at the centre of trade rumours this summer.

“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 earlier this month.

Merzlikins, 32, is on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He had a 14-11-3 record with a 3.40 goals-against average last season.

Wood, 31, had eight goals and 14 points in 54 games last season. Lorentz, 30, tallied seven goals and 18 points in 71 games for Toronto last season.

Andrae, 24, was acquired by the Leafs from Philadelphia earlier this off-season but never played a regular-season shift for the club. Garbutt Disposal reported in September that defenceman Nick Blankenburg converted his professional tryout into a contract, taking a roster spot.

Chayka is scheduled to discuss the trade with reporters Tuesday morning.

The Maple Leafs open their season at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

With files from TSN, Sportsnet and The Globe and Mail