The Montreal Canadiens have had Kirill Marchenko on their radar for some time, but landing the Columbus Blue Jackets winger may be getting much harder.
With more competition entering the picture, one NHL insider believes Montreal could be facing a serious threat in the race for the talented forward.
Canadiens Face Major Marchenko Threat
Montreal has been searching for a prime-aged top-six winger who can consistently score goals. Marchenko fits that description to a T after posting back-to-back strong seasons in Columbus. He scored 31 goals and recorded 74 points in 2024-25 before following that up with 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season.
That production has made Marchenko one of the more attractive trade targets on the market. However, the Canadiens are not the only team believed to be interested.
NHL insider Marco D’Amico believes Utah could present a serious challenge to Montreal because of the strength of its prospect pool.
“I think Utah and Montreal are pretty close. Unlike Montreal, Utah still has some pretty elite prospects coming up the pipeline. Montreal has got a couple. But Utah’s got (Caleb) Desnoyers, Tij (Iginla) again, (Dmitri) Simashevchef hasn’t really set up shop in Utah.
“Long-term, Daniil But is on his way, and they continue to add, so much so that they felt comfortable being able to sacrifice Cole Beaudoin in a trade to go and get themselves Vincent Trocheck,” D’Amico said.
“So, whenever I hear Utah is involved in trade discussions, I am always a little careful because that’s a team that can outbid Montreal,” he added.
D’Amico’s point is clear: Utah has a deep collection of high-end prospects, giving the team more flexibility in trade negotiations. That could be particularly important for Columbus general manager Don Waddell, who may prefer young players capable of reaching the NHL soon rather than distant draft picks.
Montreal Has More to Lose
The Canadiens also have a strong prospect pool, but the organization appears to have a much shorter list of players it would be willing to move.
Top prospects such as defenseman David Reinbacher and forward Michael Hage are widely viewed as players Montreal would prefer to keep out of trade discussions. That could make it difficult for Kent Hughes to match an aggressive offer from Utah.
There is also plenty of intrigue surrounding Montreal’s Russian prospects.
If the Canadiens can acquire Marchenko without giving up Alexander Zharovsky, they could potentially create an exciting Russian connection with Ivan Demidov, Montreal’s 2024 first-round pick.
Marchenko and Demidov could give Montreal two young, highly skilled offensive weapons. However, Hughes must determine how much he is willing to pay for Marchenko without seriously weakening the organization’s prospect pool.
That leaves Kent Hughes with a difficult decision.
If he matches Utah’s offer, Montreal could lose too much prospect depth. But if he refuses to pay the price, Utah or another team could land the 30-goal winger the Canadiens need.
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Montreal could be one of the favorites for Marchenko, but Utah appears to have the assets to make the Canadiens pay a very steep price.
