Jonathan Marchessault isn’t a name one might expect to be associated with a bidding war, but as the 2025-26 season rolls along, the roster freeze lifts and the NHL Trade Deadline feels like it’s getting closer, two familiar rivals — the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens — are being linked to the veteran winger for very different reasons.
Maple Leafs Need Someone for Auston Matthews
The Maple Leafs have struggled this season, led by the troubling production of superstar Auston Matthews. The team is hovering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings after a sluggish start, and everyone is looking for answers.
Some believe Toronto should already be selling, but that’s a hard sell to management and ownership. General manager Brad Treliving is still operating as a buyer, hoping he can find a way, under tight salary restrictions and without key assets he can move, to land a difference-maker.
One of the Leafs’ clearest needs is a top-six winger. Life after Mitch Marner has exposed how thin Toronto’s support structure is on the wing, and Matthews’ dip in production has only amplified the issue. That’s where Marchessault — a former Conn Smythe trophy winner — enters the picture.
Pierre LeBrun recently floated Marchessault as a potential fit for Toronto, noting:
“The Leafs don’t have many assets to trade. For the Predators, this would be more about moving the remainder of the contract — three more seasons after this one at a $5.5 million cap hit. The Leafs would still have to trade assets, but it wouldn’t be as costly as other trade targets they’ve looked at.”
source – ‘NHL trade matchmaker: Predicting where top targets go by the deadline, part 2’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 12/26/2025
Marchessault has just 10 points in 28 games. A change of scenery could help. The issue? The Leafs have already looked slow at times, and Marchessault isn’t the dynamic play-driver Matthews arguably needs beside him.
Could the Canadiens Bring Marchessault Home?
Montreal’s interest, meanwhile, isn’t just about adding a scorer. It’s about bringing a Quebec native back home.
Chris Johnston included the Canadiens as a possible destination in The Athletic’s trade matchmaker, pointing out that Marchessault’s full no-movement clause changes the narrative. Marchessault would likely welcome a move to Montreal, and his experience could theoretically benefit one of the league’s youngest rosters.
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But fan reaction was polarizing.
Many Canadiens supporters didn’t love the idea of adding Marchessault, as it seems to pivot off their clearly laid out plans. The winger turns 35, is signed long term, doesn’t play center, and isn’t known for strong defensive play. Montreal already passed on him in free agency due to concerns about term, so the idea of now trading assets to acquire the same contract seems illogical.
So too, adding Marchessault would either block younger players like Alex Newhook or Emil Heineman or force additional moves, all while committing cap space to a declining winger.
Chris Johnston admitted that to make the deal, the Canadiens would have to move money out. He mentioned Patrik Laine and his $8.7 million cap hit as the most obvious candidate. It’s a big “if” to suggest the Predators would be willing to take that player back.
Is This Really a Trade Battle?
If Marchessault is moved, Toronto’s motivation is about finding someone to kickstart Matthews. Montreal’s would be about selectively adding experience, hoping that a player skating on home ice would bring his production back to a level once quite impressive.
Whether either team actually pulls the trigger remains to be seen. But if Nashville decides to move Marchessault, it wouldn’t be surprising if two rivals with very different timelines find themselves circling the same name.
