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The Montreal Canadiens are looking to acquire a new star forward this summer. After recently reaching the Eastern Conference finals, there is plenty of hope surrounding the Quebec club. Not only are the Canadiens coming off an impressive season, but they were the youngest team in the NHL. The future is certainly bright for Montreal.

Despite this, the Canadiens have a glaring need for a new forward to round out their impressive top six. According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, general manager Kent Hughes is eyeing Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Russian star racked up 67 points in 76 games with his current club in 2025-26. He previously scored 31 goals during his breakout season the year before.

The links between Montreal and Marchenko may seem a bit odd. After all, the Canadiens have been widely reported to be targeting a center, and the Blue Jackets star plays on the wing. Nevertheless, it was recently revealed that Hughes could pivot to a new winger if the center market proves to be too costly. At the moment, Montreal is balking at the asking price for Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish.

Marchenko could become available in the trade market if he signals that he does not want to sign an extension in Columbus. At the moment, the star forward has one more year left on a three-year, $11.55 million deal ($3.85 million AAV). The 25-year-old winger will certainly be looking for a substantial pay raise in his next contract.

Kirill Marchenko Will be a Tough Target for the Montreal Canadiens to Acquire

GettyKirill Marchenko could be on the move if a contract extension is not on the horizon.

While the Montreal Canadiens are poking around on Marchenko, it does not necessarily mean that the Blue Jackets want to move their star. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently reported that Columbus and GM Don Waddell do not want to trade Marchenko. After all, the Russian is the team’s top forward right now.

Nevertheless, Portzline claims that Waddell is “listening to a wide array of offers” for his players. Columbus is not interested in shedding salary, though. The reporter believes that the Blue Jackets would only be willing to offload a key player if they received something similar in return. Montreal may not be able to offer quality NHL-ready players in a deal involving a star such as Marchenko.

Instead, the Canadiens are more likely to use prospects and draft picks to land star talent. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked Montreal as having the ninth-best prospect pool in the NHL. They clearly have some young pieces to facilitate a trade. It was also recently reported that Hughes is willing to offload highly-rated forward Alexander Zharovsky to help land a new star.

Montreal Will Have Plenty of Competition for the Forward

As Pagnotta points out, the Montreal Canadiens are among several teams interested in Marchenko. The Russian star would fit well into just about every team in the NHL. Although not every club around the league will be eyeing the forward, several GMs will at least try.

Assuming that the Canadiens can somehow land Marchenko, or any other top winger, head coach Martin St. Louis would have to shuffle his lineup. One of the more intriguing options would be to move Alex Newhook to the center position. The forward was typically utilized on the left wing for St. Louis during the recent campaign.