Notable insider Elliotte Friedman really raised some eyebrows on Friday morning by making a stunning revelation regarding the latest Toronto Maple Leafs target.
In the most recent edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman stated that the Maple Leafs have been trying to keep their pursuit of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko a secret.
Well, the cat is out of the bag now.
“Toronto, I think has really tried to keep their interest secret, but it’s kind of seeped out.”
The Maple Leafs are just one of the teams looking to land the 26-year-old. It’s no secret that the Blue Jackets have been looking to move the three-time 20-goal scorer. One of the main reasons that Friedman cited for Columbus’ desire to move on from the impending RFA is the fact that he’s no longer a cultural fit under Rick Bowness.
With that in mind, Friedman named the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Seattle Kraken as interested parties to a certain extent or another.
What Friedman did not delve into was the degree to which the Maple Leafs are interested in Marchenko. And that’s really what you have to think is the crux of this issue. While the Leafs might have all the interest in the world, there’s no telling just how close they may be to actually pulling this off.
Maple Leafs just don’t have the dry powder to pull off this trade
The bottom line is that the Maple Leafs just don’t have the dry power to pull off this trade. You would think that the Blue Jackets want a considerable package for Marchenko. The asking price likely involves a solid NHL forward, a prospect, and a first-round pick. While the actual pieces may differ, the price won’t come cheap.
Columbus will likely balk at a package centered around futures. The organization believes the Blue Jackets are a playoff team. So, trading Marchenko for guys like Easton Cowan just won’t move the needle.
And it has to be a forward. Trading Marchenko means the Blue Jackets would have a 20-goal hole in their lineup. With that in mind, the Maple Leafs just don’t have anyone who can potentially fill that void for the Blue Jackets.
Yes, the Leafs might be able to scare up enough picks and prospects to make that happen. But unless Columbus is thinking about accruing assets and then flipping them in a separate trade, you have to wonder just how close, if at all, the Maple Leafs could be to a potential Marchenko trade.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t bet on this deal happening. But things can change. Toronto might be able to come up with an interesting offer, especially if Blue Jackets’ GM Don Waddell blinks and the price comes down ever so slightly.
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