Toronto reshaped its roster in a major Monday trade with Columbus, bringing in scorer Kirill Marchenko, winger Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins while sending Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round selection to the Blue Jackets.
Marchenko arrives with a long-term Toronto commitment
The centerpiece for the Maple Leafs is Marchenko, the 26-year-old Russian forward who had been approaching restricted free agency following the season. He has agreed to a six-year contract worth $75 million with Toronto, carrying a $12.5 million annual cap hit beginning next season.
Marchenko still has one season left on the three-year, $11.55 million deal he signed with Columbus on July 28, 2024. His current contract has a $3.85 million average annual value.
- Marchenko posted 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 76 games in 2025-26.
- He led Columbus in goals last season and ranked second on the club in scoring.
- He has finished as the Blue Jackets’ leading goal scorer in each of the past three seasons.
- In 292 NHL games, Marchenko has recorded 102 goals, 106 assists and 208 points.
- Columbus selected him 49th overall in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
For Toronto, Marchenko adds a proven finishing touch after his strongest full-season production in Columbus. The club also gets cost certainty on a player entering his fifth NHL season.
Knies heads to Columbus in the return package
Knies, 23, is the principal player heading back the other way. The power forward set NHL highs with 23 goals, 43 assists and 66 points over 79 games for Toronto last season.
The Maple Leafs drafted Knies 57th overall in 2021, and he leaves with 160 points on 67 goals and 93 assists across 240 regular-season games. He has also produced eight goals and six assists in 27 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.
Knies signed a six-year, $46.5 million deal with Toronto on July 1, 2025, a contract with a $7.75 million average annual value.
Other pieces moving to Columbus
- Lorentz, 30, joins the Blue Jackets after putting up seven goals and 11 assists in 71 games for Toronto last season.
- He has 36 goals, 44 assists and 80 points in 381 regular-season games with Carolina, San Jose, Florida and Toronto.
- Lorentz won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.
- Andrae, 24, had two goals and 11 assists in 2025-26 with the Philadelphia Flyers.
- Toronto had acquired Andrae on June 16 in the trade that sent Joseph Woll out of the organization.
- Columbus also receives Toronto’s second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Wood and Merzlikins deepen Toronto’s lineup
Wood gives the Maple Leafs another veteran forward with a physical edge. He recorded eight goals and six assists in 54 games last season, and owns 99 goals and 97 assists in 567 NHL regular-season outings with New Jersey, Colorado and Columbus.
Merzlikins, 32, changes the picture in Toronto’s crease. He went 14-11-3 for Columbus last season, posting a 3.40 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage.
- Merzlikins has spent his entire NHL career with Columbus.
- His career record stands at 108-111-38 in 274 regular-season appearances.
- He owns a 3.22 career goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Opening-night dates are already set
The Maple Leafs will begin the 2026-27 regular season Tuesday at home against the Montreal Canadiens. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with TVAS and SN carrying the game.
Columbus opens Thursday at Nationwide Arena against the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m. ET. The Blue Jackets broadcast is set for CBJHN, CBJNHL and MSG-B.
