Marchenko-Knies’ Failure: The CH Must Aim Even Higher

So, the Leafs and the Jackets have completed a trade that likely involves the two players whose names have been mentioned most frequently in Montreal trade rumors over the past six months.

There's every reason to believe that Knies came within minutes of becoming a member of the Canadiens on March 6.

There's also every reason to believe that Kirill Marchenko and his agent, Dan Milstein, thought for a moment that the big #86 would be joining the Habs sometime this summer.

In both cases, the Habs most likely included one of their top offensive prospects, Alexander Zharovsky, in the trade.

Michael Hage? Maybe, but I'm skeptical…

To match the Leafs' offer, did they offer Bolduc, Dach, and other players suggested in a recent article right up until the last minute?

Who knows…

But we know how it ended.

Brad Treliving reportedly said yes to the Habs. But the NHL said no, and then Treliving lost his job.

Don Waddell, for his part, never said yes to Kent Hughes and stood his ground: he wanted a player who could help his team right away… and he finally got him in Matthew Knies, undoubtedly the best player he could have gotten from all the offers he received.

Not empty-handed…

Of course, in Montreal, just a few hours before training camp began, Chris Kreider arrived in town, and he's still believed to be capable of helping the team in the top-6—or at worst, the top-9—as well as on the power play.

A nice consolation prize that will cost only a fraction of the price of the other two options mentioned above…

And, although he's not as productive at 35, Kreider remains just as strong and sturdy as Marchenko and Knies, and is well-positioned to offer sound advice to younger players like Bolduc, Slaf, and the rest.

But still, he remains a temporary solution, simply a “nice addition” for the '26–'27 season.

…and, above all, he keeps our hands free

We don't know why the Leafs—under both Treliving and Chayka—wanted to part ways with Knies. Perhaps there was “more to the story,” as we've been hearing from all sides since Monday, but Knies' age, size, talent, and contract would have been a perfect fit in Montreal.

The Canadiens wouldn't have tied their hands with him and would have added the equivalent of another Slafkovsky to their roster.

Perhaps he would have signed for a few dollars less in Montreal, but while not catastrophic, a Marchenko deal worth $12.5 million for another six years would have been far less ideal for the team's salary structure and culture.

We understand that the economic reality of the NHL has changed in recent months, but Marchenko would have been by a wide margin the team's highest-paid player without necessarily being the best…

In short, the Habs still have their hands free and currently have over $30 million under the salary cap ($113.5 million) heading into the 2027–2028 season, without having any big names on their core roster to whom they'd have to pay tens of millions annually. I don't think you'd include Kreider, Anderson, Danault, Dach, Montembeault, and Carrier in that category…

And if you want to look ahead to 2028–2029, your beloved Habs will have more than $47 million under the cap.

In other words, Hughes and Gorton—in addition to already having a contending team to put on their business card—will literally have tens of millions to offer to excellent free agents or excellent players looking to change teams, as is the case every year…

A few very big potential fish…

As James Bond would say, you should probably never say “never,” but for my part, I wouldn't dare include Sidney Crosby among HuGo's potential targets anymore.

But at 28 years old, and with an average of 89 points per season over the last five campaigns, Jason Robertson—whose one-year contract expires next June—would certainly be an interesting target. He might just be the ideal big winger to play in the top six for several seasons…

Perhaps Robertson wouldn't cost the Habs any assets—or just a few players of almost symbolic value—as was the case when Vegas acquired Mitch Marner.

The Oilers will have to go all out this season in the hope of convincing Connor McDavid to sign a long-term deal with them as early as next July.

From where we're standing, the chances of that working out are, let's say, pretty slim. It would take at least one more conference final, and even then…

Of course, McDavid would still have one season left on his contract, and he certainly wouldn't have to accept a trade to just any team.

He'll pretty much be the one choosing where to go. At best, he'll give his GM, Stan Bowman, two or three options (if Bowman is still in place, of course…).

So it'll be up to Hughes and Gorton not to give up any major assets between now and then in order to position themselves as THE #1 destination for Connor and the Oilers.

The Oilers will likely have no choice but to rebuild—at least in part—if they're forced to trade McDavid, and might then be tempted to accept excellent young prospects like the ones the Canadiens have in significant numbers at EVERY position.

Hage, Zharovsky, Pickford, Reinbacher, and Fowler or Dobes. Would that get the ball rolling?

A nearly identical offer could also be made to Leon Draisaitl, if McDavid were to prefer going elsewhere and good old Leon didn't want to stay on board any longer than his friend…

In short, before offering Michael Hage and other big names in exchange for players like Mark Scheifele or Ryan O'Reilly (though, mind you, in Scheifele's case, it might be tempting), I'd try to forge very, very close ties with the Oilers.