NHL Rumours: Marchenko to Canadiens, Gauthier’s High Demands & Kucherov Extension

In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with Kirill Marchenko and how the Columbus Blue Jackets are inching closer to a trade, with the Montreal Canadiens well within the mix. Next, we look at Cutter Gauthier and the Anaheim Ducks, and the potential of him getting one of the biggest contracts in the league.

Finally, Nikita Kucherov is eligible for an extension, and despite how quiet things have been, the expectation is that he will remain a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Marchenko Deal Coming Soon, Canadiens Front-Runner

After the rumours broke out that Marchenko would not be signing a new deal with the Blue Jackets, there has been a lot of focus on him and the subsequent trade rumours.

After posting 141 points over the last two seasons, Marchenko is due for a significant raise from his current $3.85 million salary. His current three-year contract is coming to an end after the 2026-27 season, and he will likely be making north of $9 million on a new deal.

RG’s Daria Tuboltseva reported that the Blue Jackets are working on finalizing a deal to send Marchenko to a new team, and their source stated that it is down to two teams.

There is a strong belief that the Montreal Canadiens are the front-runner for Marchenko, and have been linked to him going back to the start of the offseason.

Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, took to X and shared a deceptive post, stating, “Can’t confirm or deny, but last I checked there were some pretty steep tariffs on exporting elite talent to or from Canada right now…”

That post suggests that the Canadiens, or at least a Canadian team, is in the mix, but the acquisition cost is very high and could be reflected in the potential extension for Marchenko, too.

Both The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig and The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, who cover the Blue Jackets, reported that there is no indication that a trade is imminent.

There is a lot of talk about what the Canadiens could be sending to the Blue Jackets in a potential deal, and many mock trades are including the likes of Michael Hage, Alexander Zharkovsky, David Reinbacher, Kaiden Guhle, and picks. Some sort of combination of those assets will likely be included, though the exact value the Blue Jackets are looking for is not known, but it is sure to be a lot.

Cutter Gauthier Contract Demands Remain High

After Leo Carlsson became the highest-paid NHL player, the Ducks’ other high-end restricted free agent is still looking for a deal.

Having Carlsson sign for $18 million did nothing to help the Ducks when it comes to the Gauthier negotiations. After hitting the 40-goal mark as a sophomore, the future is very bright for him, and his new deal is likely going to reflect that.

According to Anthony Di Marco, his new deal is expected to land between Carlsson and Connor Bedard, who just signed a five-year deal with a $15 million salary.

If Gauthier is going to land roughly $16 million, the Ducks are going to go from a hard salary cap situation to an even more complex one.

Kucherov Extension Expected to Get Done

On July 1, Lightning general manager Julian BriseBois stated that while there had been some conversations between him and Milstein, who represents Kucherov, there was nothing to report at the time.

Not only does July 1 mark the start of the offseason and unrestricted free agency, but it also allows for extensions to be signed, too. There is a lot of buzz surrounding both Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, who are expected to sign big deals with their current teams, and the same goes for Kucherov, too.

BriseBois stated that the priority at that time was looking at free agency and the trade market, which had tighter deadlines than a Kucherov extension, which they have a year to figure out.

Throughout the course of his eight-year deal that will expire next offseason, Kucherov won a Hart Trophy, two Stanley Cups, two Art Ross Trophies, and a Ted Lindsay Award. He made $9.5 million annually, and while the lack of state tax may help, Kucherov has earned the right to sign whatever contract he is looking for. It shouldn’t be too difficult for the two sides to come together and figure out a deal to keep Kucherov as a Bolt for the rest of his career.