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Bruins’ Cost to Acquire Kirill Marchenko Is Prohibitive
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko celebrates his goal against Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

Bruins’ Cost to Acquire Kirill Marchenko Is Prohibitive

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers  |  By Josh Deeds  |  Last updated Sep 27, 2026 2:40 PM ET
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It was reported by Elliotte Friedman on Friday that the Boston Bruins were one team that made an offer to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko.

Marchenko, selected 49th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, began his career with the Blue Jackets during the 2022-23 season. Five years after his draft, he debuted in the league, playing 59 games, scoring 21 goals, and 25 points as a sniper who hadn’t reached his full potential yet.

Not fully developed, he’d play 16 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Cleveland Monsters, recording 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 16 games. A sign that his stint in the minors wouldn’t be long.

The Russian-born forward told ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes that he wasn’t planning on signing with the Blue Jackets at the expiry of his contract on July 1, 2028.

“What [Milstein] said was that he was going to call me after the weekend and talk about [Marchenko’s] future, and then I read that stuff [from Weekes] … or I don’t read it, somebody had to tell me it,” Waddell said. “So, [Milstein] did not tell me today whatever was reported by Weekes. He said he wanted to talk to me about Marchenko after the weekend, and I said, ‘Talk all you want.’ And then, obviously, this all came out.”- From ‘Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko want exit from Columbus Blue Jackets: Now what?’- Brian Hedger, Coumbus Dispatch, 06/27/2026

This led to a precarious situation for the Blue Jackets, who counted on Marchenko being a long-term solution to their contention woes. In 2024-25, he hit his career high, scoring 31 goals and 74 points in 79 games. At the time, he seemed like one of the missing pieces in the puzzle since Artemi Panarin packed his bags and left for New York in 2019.

It’s been no secret that teams in the league covet a player like Marchenko, who is skilled and has yet to reach his true ceiling in the league.

He’s a versatile forward with size and could add some extra firepower to the Bruins’ top-six, which, until the addition of JJ Peterka recently, looked bare as far as skilled forwards go, aside from David Pastrnak.

Has an abundance of scoring talent and puck skills. Also boasts a very projectable frame and goal-scoring ability. Also, he can play either wing position. Needs to prove he can be a productive winger against tougher competition. Also, he needs to continue filling out his big frame and get physically stronger.

Marchenko has 292 games of experience in the NHL, recording 208 points (102 goals, 106 assists). What could the Bruins do to pry him from the hands of a team that could be destined for a rebuild?

Mock Trade for Kirill Marchenko

The painful part of a trade like this would mean sacrificing a significant part of the young core that has been built over the past few years.

Mock trades online include moving Pavel Zacha, Mason Lohrei, James Hagens, or Fraser Minten, including a first- or third-round pick attached for the former 70-point forward.

This one might be a bit more palatable as the team would move Matthew Poitras, Pavel Zacha, Mason Lohrei, and a first-round pick attached. A win-now piece, and pieces to replenish a bottom-six and defense core that could use fresh blood.

The second mock trade is just another hypothetical where the Bruins would sacrifice their future for someone who could push them into contention. The Bruins would need to win this trade for it to make sense long-term. That should include general manager Don Sweeney inking him to a deal longer than three years.

The last could be the one that hurts the most, and would keep Hagens and Minten in the organization, but any future first-round picks could be on the table.

While we’re all speculating at the moment on what could move the needle for the Bruins, the team that does win the Marchenko trade will benefit from his talents for years to come, and may even taste playoff success if the chemistry on ice is right. But the cost of buy-in is high right now, as Marchenko is a hot commodity in the league.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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