NHL Rumor Mill – September 3, 2026
Could Kirill Marchenko land with the Canadiens? Will the Blues pursue Alexander Nikishin? Could the Senators sign Patrik Laine? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Check out the latest Pucks In Deep podcast where we discuss the latest news on Connor Hellebuyck, Quinn Hughes, and more.
LA PRESSE: Mathias Brunet believes Montreal Canadiens fans should keep an eye on Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko.
Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko (NHL Images).
The 25-year-old Marchenko is a restricted free agent next summer and can become an unrestricted free agent in 2028. He hasn’t signed a long-term extension and reportedly requested a trade this summer. However, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has yet to finalize a trade and expects Marchenko to report to training camp as planned.
Brunet noted that the Canadiens are in the market for a top-six forward. In the absence of a second-line center in the trade market, adding a winger like Marchenko would be a viable alternative.
The Blue Jackets would set a high price. They could ask for a top prospect like center Michael Hage or winger Alexander Zharovsky, along with a first-round pick and possibly one or two other assets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchenko’s uncertain future with the Blue Jackets ensures he’ll be a fixture in the rumor mill this season, with the Canadiens considered the front-runners to acquire him because they need to bolster their second line.
However, the Canadiens won’t be the only team linked to Marchenko, and a trade to Montreal isn’t a certainty. We also can’t dismiss the possibility that he has a change of heart and signs an extension with the Blue Jackets.
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford made 10 bold predictions for the St. Louis Blues this season. Among them was his forecast that they will make a trade for Alexander Nikishin.
The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman is a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract last season. He’s ineligible to sign an offer sheet because he didn’t play the required number of games to qualify.
Rutherford believes the 24-year-old Nikishin fits the profile of the defenseman first-year general manager Alex Steen seeks. His market value is projected at nearly $8 million annually, but he lacks leverage, and the Hurricanes might be unwilling to go that high. Rutherford predicts they get him for a reasonable asking price and a bridge contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues have been linked to Nikishin since July, but there’s no sign that a deal is on the horizon yet. Other clubs will also be interested in the promising young blueliner, which could set off a bidding war for his services.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators discussed signing unrestricted free-agent winger Patrik Laine. However, he considers it “highly doubtful” that he’ll land in Ottawa.
Garrioch stated there is “reportedly interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Tampa Bay Lightning.” He felt the Senators aren’t interested because they don’t feel he’s the right fit for their roster. Instead, they’re putting their faith in offseason addition Andre Burakovsky to find his game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Islanders looked into signing Laine to a professional tryout offer, but he’s more interested in a contract.
The talk about Laine and Ottawa as a possible new location seems to have gained traction from this Sept 2 article by Skyler Walker at Markerzone:
https://www.markerzone.com/news/index.php?no=603140
Not sure what kind of contract Laine thinks he can get, other than a 1 year prove it deal. Cheap deal with incentives. I think Buffalo could be a landing spot. Has history with Kekalainen.
Marchenko would look really nice in NY on a line with Dorofeyev.
What’s going on with Ducks and Gauthier? Teams cutting it close to start of season with their rfa’s.
Verbeek definitely gets an “F” for his offseason grade.
He was overly boisterous about “matching anything” and other teams, agents, & players called his bluff.
They were a team on the rise just 3 months ago, now I wonder if they even make the playoffs with their decimated defense.
Slick62, what’s going on with Gauthier and Verbeek is a classic portrayal of the French saying “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” (roughly “the more things change the more they remain the same”).
It’s simply another graphic example of Verbeek’s uncompromising approach to management when it comes to handling his roster.. It’s happened before with Zegras, Drysdale and McTavish and, interestingly enough, all have been moved out.
George, Philly kind of forced his hand with the offer sheet to Carlsson. Put quite the dent in cap space. Kind of rushed his rebuild to last season bringing in Granlund and Kreider. Had a nice season but now those 2 plus Killorn eating cap space they need to keep younger guys. Gauthier should get paid. Everyone else is.
Slick62, I agree re Gauthier. But whether or not Briere doles out that offer-sheet, Carlsson would still have commanded a contract close to or exactly what he got. And, given Verbeek’s negotiation history, he’d likely be yet another unsigned and still in the dickering stage as we approach training camp, alongside Gauthier (much like Zegras and Drysdale before them).
If Gauthier is to get what he and his camp are reportedly looking at (in the range of $16 – $17 mil AAV), and given that Verbeek has just $9,073,395 in cap space, he is going to have to find some way to free up $7 to $8 mil. And even if he does that, it means heading into the season with zero in cap wiggle room.
It’s probably that Troy Terry and his $7 mil AAV will start the season on LTIR following his hip surgery in June, which MIGHT be just enough to squeeze in Gauthier’s new contract. But with a 5-6 month recovery period, Terry would be back by mid- to late November, at which point Verbeek would have find some other way to free up around $7-$8 mil.
“You made your bed, now lie in it” was never more appropriate.
I’d be surprised if Laine gets anything much different than what Tolvanen signed for in NY. At least Tolvanen would have value up and down the lineup and plays with speed and energy. He’ll have sneaky real life quality for the Rangers and could parlay this year into a 3-4 year deal somewhere else next season now that he’s out of the forward black hole in Seattle.
Laine’s best days are behind him. Injuries and age took away whatever speed he had. He is a defensive liability. At best he is a power play specialist. The Habs gave him restricted playing time at even strength and gave him power play time because of his deficiencies. I would be leary of signing him. I don’t see him being a good fit on many teams.
Keep Marchenko I’ll keep Hage and Zharovsky.
I’ll take Voronkov for draft picks if anything.
I’m one of those fans that is always looking for trades to improve the Habs, while there are others who are resistant to change.
This year I think the Habs rebuild is going into the next mode of benefiting from the fruits of prospect development to improve from within, at least to start the season.
Gallagher, Laine and Veleno are gone.
Beck, Berard, Xhekaj and Reinbacher will be evaluated in camp to step in.
Did you have anyone particular in mind when you said some Habs fans are resistant to change?
I agree that any trade for Marchenko cannot include Hage. I expect that the Habs will cross all 10 fingers and hope that Dach can at long last stay healthy enough to be at least a place holder at center.
Yes, there are roster spots coming into training camp, but don’t count Laine’s spot as he didn’t play any meaningful # of games last year. If not this year for Beck, when? Xhekaj? He will have had to work on his skating during the off season as he is slow.
You didn’t list Engstrom, but several times you have pumped Berard’s tires. He is a 5’9″ D who was signed to a one year, two way contract and who registered no points in 13 games with the NYR. Don’t see the attraction, nor do I see him as an improvement on Reinbacher, Engstrom, Struble or Wifi.
LJ,
Berard is a 5’9 LW not a D, and his game is very much like a young Gallagher, high motor, crashes the net, punches above his weight.
I didn’t mention Engstrom because he’s a LD and I see both him and Struble as being trade assets while Reinbacher “should” be a regular according to my eye test.
I have always and still think highly of Owen Beck and he’ll be on the roster in my opinion this year. At minimum he’s an upgrade on Veleno, at best he’ll challenge for 2C.
Xhekaj has something to prove this training camp, he’s been working on his skating and there are rumours about WiFi having a shot at LW considering his skating is as good as both Texier and Bolduc.
As for those resistant to change you are just one in a big camp so it wasn’t a dig at you.
As a Habs fan I don’t always agree on your takes HF30 (and I don’t reply often on this board) but this time I agree with you. I don’t think Mtl management (or most of their fans) have fallen in love with their players or prospects and will do what they must to improve the team.
As for the players discussed above, Beck because of his lack of offense (even though he had at least two goals called back last year) projects as a 4C. Defensive specialist very good on faceoffs (think replacement for Danault). F Xhekaj should be among the 14 fwds this season too and his play and injuries will obviously decide how many games he plays.
I totally agree on Struble being trade bait, won’t get much but include him in a package. Removing him so St Louis can’t keep putting him with Hutson is addition by subtraction. Playing Hutson on his off side so Struble can play LD is a mistake, Hutson’s numbers are much much better on his natural L side. Plus if Struble is gone it frees up a slot for Reinbacher and/or Xhekaj.
Lastly, on their defense, how do you feel about Guhle? IMO he could also be tradebait because he is so injury prone. The return for him should be much more than for Struble. I’d like their D to be:
Hutson – Dobson
Matheson – Reinbacher
Xhekaj – Carrier
with Engstrom as 7th D since he has the versatility to play both sides.
Overall when looking at Mtl’s roster and options I think everything Hughes is doing is to have their C depth ultimately be Suzuki, Hage, Kapanen and Evans/Beck and maybe F Xhekaj.
If CBJ are interested in Kapanen as the core young piece (and cheap to get space to sign Fantilli) in a package for Marchenko then I think Mtl should do it. If you have Suzuki and eventually Hage as top two C then a 3C to replace Kapanen is not a hard role to fill. This season proceed with Dach and Newhook on centre tryouts and if it doesn’t work look at what’s available at the trade deadline for a rental.
Oops on Berard, although a small forward isn’t much more appealing to me than another small D.
I did not take your comment as a dig at me, I was poking fun at myself whilst recognizing I do indeed belong in that conservative camp.
Interesting thought about Wifi as a forward.
To you and Drive, I understand the injury concern about Guhle but wouldn’t that diminish the return? Let’s keep him instead of pennies on the dollar in a trade.
10Oiler: IMO the Habs overachieved last year. Two game 7s could have gone either way and you can’t continue to progress being outshot badly every game. That’s telling. So it is possible that the Habs get bounced in the first round of playoffs this year if they aren’t able to improve on their known areas of need, and/or several of their players continue to get hurt.
In the mid term (5 years) I am very positive. As we know, their core players are locked into favourable contracts so their window should stay open for a meaningful time. That’s all a fan can reasonably ask in today’s NHL.
Meanwhile, I would like McDavid to get his Cup this year.
great to see the lively exchange, and appreciate the civility.
Habs should not waste a year, things can change to quickly with teams with potential or complacency sets in. The Leafs are a classic example of a wasted core. I would trade any non-roster player to get a 2nd line center.
Habfan30,I feel the same as you about player movement although our teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum. As a GM you can t fall in love with your roster.
Career seasons are ahead for the core, they are too young to have peaked so I have no concern about the roster being filled from within as being an improvement.
As for Guhle, I’m open to trading him, here are a few possibilities.
Guhle for Brayden Schneider
Guhle for Owen Tippett
Guhle and Dach for Tippett and Noah Cates
Habsfan30/LJ
How do you feel about next season?
I feel the teams around them did more to improve. MTL seems to be hoping that improvement comes from within but they also had some outstanding individual seasons as well.
I am not saying any of it was a fluke, i dont think that. I do feel like a lot of faith/pressure is put on those guys being able to repeat that AND that the other young fellas continue to improve on a linear projection.
I understand the rebuild is ahead of schedule, I also understand you dont want to fire away assets at vets, but…as fans, after the habs made it to the cobference fi also, are you content with Hughes going back at it without filling any of the holes externally?
I think Laine will get multiple PTOs . Contract at league Min.and might end up with more money if shows well at camp via PTO
Ducks are going to have to do something to address that backend
Even through the waiver wire Can they dress 7 NHL players back there? Yikes
That sure is a suspect bunch after Lacombe and Mintyukov. Old and injury-prone Nick Jensen, Moore, Hellesson and a couple of ELCs in Hinds and Luneau. That’s their 7-man D corps.
Perhaps the hard-nosed and reportedly “mean” 1st -round pick Stian Solberg is ready to step up.
What about knies for Stankoven and nikishin?
Jeff,that’s a very interesting proposal!
Toronto does not posess the cap space to sign Nikishin…….
Knies, Reily an a 1st for Nikishin and Stankoven