The Devils might be a finalist for Kirill Marchenko, who is getting traded imminently

One of the final pieces of the offseason is Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko. The high-powered player has officially requested a trade, and many teams have circled him prior to the move. Now, a new report says it’s down to two.

The report is from RG Media, but that report appears to be teased by Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein. He’s saying that nothing is terribly imminent, but the way he’s alluding to something allows us to read between the lines.

Marchenko has been tied to a few teams, but the New Jersey Devils make sense. He’s exactly the type of player the Devils need. He fits perfectly into their contract situation. Even though he needs a new contract after next season, he’s making just $3.9 million against the cap for 2026-27. 

This is a player who scored at least 21 goals in each of his four NHL seasons. Last season, he had 27 goals and 40 assists in 76 games. Marchenko is going to get the Blue Jackets a significant package. 

The Devils can match the package for them. Even if the Devils don’t give up one of their star players, which wouldn’t make sense in a Marchenko trade, they acquired two extra first-round picks in the Simon Nemec trade, on top of a high second-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft. 

The Devils turned that second-round pick into Matias Vanhanen and Lavr Gashilov, two high-end prospects. Since they did so well in the 2026 NHL Draft, they can use their extra picks in the future to acquire Marchenko. 

The Devils make a ton of sense for Kirill Marchenko

After signing Anthony Mantha, the Devils really just need one piece to solidify this roster, especially if they are all in on the three-goalie rotation. Getting another top-six scorer, especially someone who is a great finisher, would give the Devils the goal scoring they need to succeed. 

If reports are true that there are two teams left, and it’s likely they are south of the border, the Devils make sense to be on that list. They are one of the few teams still looking at upgrades, and they have a support system to make it work for Marchenko. 

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