Kirill Marchenko might not dress for the Maple Leafs tonight, and it has nothing to do with his game. The paperwork isn't finished.
Chris Johnston reported this morning that the winger's status for the season opener against Montreal is still unclear. He needs to complete the work visa process first.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. That leaves a very small window to clear immigration red tape on opening night.
Think of a new hire who shows up for Day 1 and can't get past the front desk because the badge was never printed. Same energy.
And this isn't some depth body. Marchenko put up 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 76 games with Columbus last season.
The year before was louder. He scored 31 times and posted 74 points in 79 games in 2024-25, finishing with a +29 rating.
Career-wise, the 26-year-old sits at 102 goals and 208 points through 292 NHL games. None of them came in a Leafs sweater.
The $12.5 million question hanging over Marchenko in Toronto
Right now he carries a $3,850,000 cap hit. For a player coming off back-to-back 60-point seasons, that's a bargain.
Then the number jumps. His cap hit climbs to $12,500,000 and runs through 2032-33.
That figure would sit above William Nylander's $11,500,000. It also tops the $12,000,000 Mitch Marner collects in Vegas.
Only Auston Matthews, at $13,250,000, would outearn him in the Leafs' dressing room. So Toronto is budgeting for a star who can't yet get cleared to go to work.
Here's what bugs me. A visa problem on opening morning is a bad look for a franchise this size, whatever the explanation turns out to be.
It also lands on Jim Hiller's desk at the worst possible time. Toronto hired him on June 17, and tonight is his first regular-season game behind the bench.
Does he build the right side around Marchenko and hope, or draw up a lineup without him and adjust at the last minute?
The Canadiens won't wait around. Montreal arrives off a 4-3 loss in Ottawa on Saturday, but went 4-1-0 over its last 10 tune-ups.
The Leafs closed their own run by beating the Senators 4-2 on the road last Wednesday. They've won two straight heading into tonight.
The schedule doesn't offer much cushion either. Ottawa visits Saturday, Nashville comes in Oct. 6, and then Toronto heads west to Vegas, Colorado and Utah.
If the paperwork drags, how many of those games does Hiller spend staring at an empty spot on his lineup card?
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Should the Maple Leafs be embarrassed that Kirill Marchenko's work visa wasn't sorted out before opening night?
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