Kirill Marchenko: “The ball is now in HuGo’s court”

Marc-Olivier Cook
Kirill Marchenko: “The ball is now in HuGo’s court”
Credit: YT

The last few days have been pretty quiet in the NHL.

It is this time of year, after all: most GMs are on vacation, which means there isn't much activity across the Bettman-led league.

But since yesterday, the Kirill Marchenko situation has regained momentum. The Habs are reportedly among the teams still in the running to sign the forward… and there are rumors that a trade may be imminent.

David Ettedgui mentioned in a tweet that the Canadiens and the Mammoth are clearly at the top of the list to acquire the Russian player. He also mentioned a third team, but the name of that club has not been revealed.

And this morning, Ettedgui weighed in again… saying on X that the ball is now in HuGo's court.

It's interesting in the sense that Kent Hughes has the assets to make a move.

We know the Blue Jackets aren't crazy about giving up assets for the future, but… if Don Waddell's hands are tied, maybe he'll have no choice but to accept the best offer for his team.

And that's where the Canadiens can have an advantage. Hughes has quality prospects on hand, draft picks, and young players who already have some value…

If the cards are indeed in the hands of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens must take advantage of it.

The Canadiens need to be aggressive to pry Marchenko away from Columbus because players like him who become available just like that are pretty rare.

And the Habs can really use this opportunity to address two key issues: acquiring a quality player for the top-6… and landing a guy who can back up Ivan Demidov on the ice.


Quick Thoughts

– Your picks?

– That's a shame.

– Well said.

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