Report: Bruins Made Trade Offer for Blue Jackets' Kirill Marchenko
Elliotte Friedman revealed on the 32 Thoughts podcast that Boston actually made Columbus a trade offer for the winger at some point.
"Now, Columbus has got another situation. We'll see what they're going to do here. It's Marchenko," Friedman said. "I think teams have been circling around them. I heard Boston made an offer at one point."
Why Boston Ultimately Went A Different Direction
Friedman didn't specify when the offer was made or exactly what it included.
Boston ended up acquiring winger JJ Peterka instead, suggesting the Marchenko talks either fell apart or simply went quiet before a deal could come together.
Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts this Morning on Kirill Marchenko:
— Eamonn McLean (@EamonnMcLean44) September 25, 2026
"I heard Boston made an offer at one point." #NHLBruins
Also listed Winnipeg, Montreal, NYI, Toronto, Vegas, and Seattle as other teams that have or might have expressed interest in Marchenko.
Columbus is currently $1.259M over the salary cap, a detail that complicates any team trying to structure a trade for Marchenko right now regardless of interest level.
Marchenko Attached To Half The League
Boston is far from alone in this pursuit.
Friedman grouped the Bruins with the Canadiens, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Jets, Golden Knights, and Kraken as teams that are either interested or have checked in on Marchenko this offseason.
Marchenko, 26, posted 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season, down slightly from a 31-goal, 74-point campaign the year before, and he's signed through this season at a team-friendly $3.85 million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Boston Bruins had made an offer to the Columbus Blue Jackets for star RW Kirill Marchenko
— Jesse 🇩🇴 A.K.A “Dominican-PuckHead” (@Jessemedscience) September 25, 2026
This is exactly the type of talent you look for — young, high ceiling, goal scorer who has yet to enter his prime
Would look excellent as the RW2… pic.twitter.com/AjJqd53mqq
His agent has already made clear he has no interest in re-signing in Columbus, and Marchenko himself has stayed deliberately vague when asked directly about his future with the team.
Friedman noted Columbus isn't desperate to simply collect draft picks and prospects in return, framing the Blue Jackets' decision as whether to keep him and compete this season or fully commit to moving on.
"There's a lot of fascinating things that could happen in this league over the next couple of weeks," Friedman said. "This is obviously one of the biggest ones."
