Oilers Show Trade Interest in Blue Jackets’ Marchenko

The Edmonton Oilers have joined the chase for Kirill Marchenko.

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos wrote in his season-opening trade board that the Oilers are one of three teams trying to work something out with the Blue Jackets for their 26-year-old winger. Toronto and Montreal are the other two clubs circling.

Daily Faceoff confirmed the report shortly after it went up:

Kypreos explained why he thinks Columbus eventually moves on from Marchenko.

“Kirill Marchenko, who desperately wants out of Columbus, should have an easier time doing so since he doesn’t have any trade protection on his contract, so it comes down to the Blue Jackets finding a deal they like. Furthermore, he’s a pending RFA with arbitration rights so a team trading for him won’t just be getting a one-year rental.”

Marchenko has already been asked about his future once this camp. He deflected the trade talk and said he can only worry about hockey, but the noise hasn’t let up since.

The winger is coming off a career year. He put up 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season and carries a team-friendly $3.85 million cap hit in the final year of his deal. He becomes an RFA with arbitration rights next summer.

Edmonton’s problem is the math. The Oilers have roughly $1.08 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, which leaves them about $2.77 million short of absorbing Marchenko’s current contract outright.

Columbus could retain some of that hit, but that gets harder to justify the more value Marchenko has shown he’s worth. Edmonton would likely need to move money out first, and most of its forward group carries some form of trade protection that would need to be waived.

None of that rules the Oilers out. It just means any move probably waits closer to the March 1 trade deadline, once Columbus has a clearer read on whether Marchenko is signable at all.