Kirill Marchenko is headed to Toronto, giving Jim Hiller a new top-six weapon after a blockbuster deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Maple Leafs acquire Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood in a trade that dramatically reshapes their roster just before the season gets rolling.
Going the other way is Matthew Knies, along with Emil Andrae, Steven Lorentz and the second-round pick Toronto previously acquired from Seattle.
The biggest development comes with Marchenko. According to the reported deal, the winger has verbally agreed to a six-year extension carrying a $12,500,000 annual cap hit.
That commitment puts the total value of Marchenko's extension at $75,000,000. Toronto isn't treating him as a short-term addition. He's being paid to become one of the club's offensive centerpieces.
Knies is the massive price going back to Columbus. His combination of age, size and established top-six deployment makes this much more than Toronto moving futures for immediate help.
The deal was reported Sunday afternoon by Pierre LeBrun:
-
"Blue Jackets will retain 18 percent on Merzlikins"
-
Maple Leafs reshape more than their top six
Merzlikins makes the trade even more interesting. The 32-year-old posted an .883 save percentage last season, so Toronto is taking on another crease option with something to prove.
Wood gives Hiller another experienced forward who can be pushed into the bottom six. With Lorentz leaving in the same transaction, there is a direct roster opening for him.
Columbus gets its headline piece in Knies, but Andrae adds another young option on the blue line. The second-round selection gives the Blue Jackets another future asset as part of the package.
For Toronto, everything circles back to Marchenko. Moving Knies is a major decision on its own, and attaching a six-year extension to Marchenko shows exactly how strongly the Maple Leafs view their newest winger.
This isn't a rental swing. Toronto has changed its top six, its crease and part of its bottom six in one transaction while locking Marchenko into the core for the long haul.
Did the Maple Leafs give up too much to land Kirill Marchenko?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Matthew Knies has been dealt in a massive six-player trade and Pierre LeBrun drops the details
