The Maple Leafs wanted their interest in Kirill Marchenko kept quiet. Now the Canadiens are standing in the same line for the Blue Jackets forward.
"Toronto, I think has really tried to keep their interest secret, but it's kind of seeped out," Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts.
The Canadiens are on Friedman's list too. Frank Seravalli reported they eyed Kirby Dach this summer as a chip to chase a bigger fish like Marchenko.
The numbers line up almost perfectly. Dach carries a $3,600,000 cap hit, and the Columbus winger sits at $3,850,000.
That's a $250,000 gap, the kind of math GMs love when they're trying to make something work.
He's coming off a 67-point season in 76 games.
So how exactly do the Leafs top that?
Maple Leafs face Canadiens threat in Kirill Marchenko trade race
Toronto's problem hasn't changed. The Leafs carry Auston Matthews and William Nylander at a combined $24,750,000.
That's why the Canadiens are the scarier competitor here. They can put an NHL roster player on the table at almost the same price.
Nick Kypreos had Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal as the teams poised to try to make something work back on Thursday.
The field has only grown since. Friedman named seven teams, and David Pastrnak just followed Marchenko on Instagram.
It's like trying to keep a garage sale secret in a small town. By noon, half the street is already standing in your driveway.
The season before last, the right winger posted 74 points and finished plus-29.
All told, he has 208 points across four NHL seasons, every one of them in Columbus.
His current deal runs through this season, which leaves Don Waddell holding restricted free agent rights and most of the leverage.
The Leafs wrapped their preseason at 2-1-1. They host the Canadiens on Tuesday to open the regular season.
The Canadiens play in Ottawa tonight, while the Blue Jackets visit Detroit.
The Leafs tried to keep this quiet. Now they get to watch the team best built to outbid them skate onto the same ice Tuesday night.
Should the Maple Leafs outbid the Canadiens for Kirill Marchenko?
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