The Montreal Canadiens have reached a point where adding another elite scorer could determine how fast their rebuild turns into a legitimate playoff push.
Around the league, offer sheets are no longer viewed as taboo, giving front offices another way to chase top-end talent. This changing environment has fueled a new debate over whether Montreal should become one of the NHL’s most aggressive teams.
Marco D’Amico Believes Canadiens Should Use Offer Sheet Pressure to Pursue Kirill Marchenko
The player at the center of that discussion is Kirill Marchenko, and Canadiens insider Marco D’Amico believes Montreal should treat him as a prime target if his contract situation remains unresolved next summer.
Speaking on The Starr & D’Amico Show, D’Amico made it clear that he is not pushing for an immediate offer sheet. Instead, he argued that the threat of one could become a far more valuable negotiating weapon.
“If you’re going to offer sheet a guy, you’ve got to blow that team out of the water,” D’Amico said. “But I think the threat of an offer sheet is where the Canadiens may thrive.”
Using Marchenko as a hypothetical, D’Amico explained how Montreal could force Columbus into a difficult decision if the winger is still a restricted free agent next summer.
“I’d threaten an offer sheet. I’d threaten, like, listen, you can either take what we’re giving to you, which includes prospects that are close to the NHL. Or you’re going to get two firsts, a second, and a third. And we’re going to offer sheet him.” He added, “That’s the game that’s played.”
To support his point, D’Amico referenced how Carolina used similar leverage in discussions with the New York Rangers over K’Andre Miller before a trade was completed instead of an offer sheet being signed.
He also emphasized why Montreal is unlikely to take that route this offseason. “The Canadiens only have $14 million in cap space. So any massive offer sheet would require them to move other guys out. So you improve in one position, but you’ll probably get weaker in another.”
Marchenko would certainly justify that patience. The 25-year-old winger has emerged as one of Columbus’ most dangerous offensive players, following a 74-point season with another campaign of 67 points while remaining on one of the league’s better-value contracts at a $3.85 million AAV through 2026-27.
D’Amico also pointed to several intriguing future RFA options, but he repeatedly circled back to the Blue Jackets forward.
“We know the Canadiens have interest there if he gets to next summer and he’s still an RFA in Columbus. Fireworks. I could see a Noah Dobson situation unfolding there,” he said.
He closed by explaining why patience could ultimately strengthen Montreal’s position.
“More RFAs may want to push off negotiations to the end of the season where it maximizes their negotiation value with the threat of an offer sheet being available,” D’Amico said. “I think Montreal can do some damage in this regard if they wanted to. But I still believe that they would just use the threat of an offer sheet.”
Rather than forcing a headline-grabbing move today, D’Amico believes the Canadiens’ smartest play may be waiting until next summer, when both timing and leverage could work in their favor.
