The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets pulled off a sizeable blockbuster deal right before the first puck dropped for the 2026-27 NHL season, swapping star wingers Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies for each other. And while we never heard even a whisper of their involvement, the Philadelphia Flyers were one of the teams ringing up the Blue Jackets asking what it would take to get the 26-year-old Russian winger off their hands.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, the Flyers had “circled” Marchenko as a potential option to send this team up a level in terms of contention status. After all, players who can skate as fast as anyone, will power himself through opposing players, while also having one of the best shots in the league, are extremely hard to come by.
The Flyers have been gearing up for a massive addition for the past year now. Whether it was asking around for defenseman Quinn Hughes when he was still captain of the Vancouver Canucks or obviously sending the world-changing offer sheet over to Leo Carlsson; the Flyers clearly want to make a splash. They are still searching for that move that would move them from just being a nice story last season of an overperforming team with a couple fun young forwards, to a perennial playoff contender.
After swinging and missing on Carlsson, defenseman John Carlson, and just about any other sizeable addition from this past summer, they decided to try and step up to the plate to take another swing, and unfortunately they missed.
But considering that Marchenko wouldn’t solve either of the No. 1 center or No. 1 defenseman problem, it would be a safe bet that they didn’t try that hard in their pursuit. Considering what the reported trade package they wanted to give up for the star winger, it was certainly going for a bunt single.
What the Flyers were willing to give up for Marchenko
Further in Di Marco’s report, he mentions what exactly the Flyers were comfortable giving up for Marchenko. It wasn’t an official trade package that was offered, but was served as an example of what a trade package they would offer in deeper conversations would look like.
“Speaking with team sources, it sounds like the Flyers’ ideal package for Marchenko was a deal that would’ve included ‘three assets’ considering that elite defenseman Quinn Hughes went for four assets less than a year ago,” Di Marco wrote. “While these players are not ones the Flyers are shopping or even have offered in proposed trades, a package involving forwards Alex Bump and Noah Cates along with a first-round draft pick is one the Flyers were willing to offer up, per sources. But with Knies ultimately being the player going the other way for Marchenko, it’s easy to see why the Flyers didn’t get a deal done.”
While we love those players, giving up a package of center Noah Cates, winger Alex Bump, and a first-round pick is basically the upgraded version of Robert Hagg and a third-round pick. It is technically two players off their roster, and while they would certainly miss Cates’ defense, it wouldn’t dramatically change their roster while also theoretically adding a star player.
Unfortunately, that comes nowhere close to the Matthew Knies-led package that the Maple Leafs ended up giving up for Marchenko. That would be something like the Flyers giving up Tyson Foerster and some depth players, and a solid draft pick for the 26-year-old — and that’s not something they would be willing to do.
Additionally, it might have been a short conversation anyways. With any team who were in talks with the Blue Jackets, Marchenko would have to let them know that he would be willing to sign a contract extension. He has one year remaining on his current deal paying him a bargain price of $3.85 million, but as we saw with the six-year extension with a $12.5-million AAV for the Leafs, the contract was a priority and would be the result of any move out of Columbus, even though he was set to be a restricted free agent next summer.
Whether it was the contract demands that moved Philadelphia off, or the fact that Marchenko would not sign an extension for the Flyers, both could have immediately halted any trade talks between the Blue Jackets and the Flyers.
Flyers still not on Dylan Larkin’s trade list
This won’t stop the Flyers from continuing to get that very good player to add to the top of their lineup and change their outlook.
It has been reported ever since he requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, that the Flyers have called about Dylan Larkin. He’s not the perfect No. 1 center option, but would easily fill that role for the Flyers and they would have enough talent surrounding him that he could be considered a good fit. Even if he’s 30 years old, adding Larkin would move the Flyers up a level to being more of a playoff lock.
Well, even though the Detroit center expanded his trade list to include eight or nine teams, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, none of them are the Flyers. According to Di Marco, while the Flyers are not one of the teams that Larkin would accept a trade to, they’re still keeping tabs to see if he has a change of heart.
The Red Wings don’t want a futures-heavy package in return for their former captain. Meanwhile, the Flyers have a lot of NHL-level talent on the wing and certainly some players who could be the centerpiece of said deal. It makes at least a little bit of sense why this is something general manager Danny Briere would call about.
Still, the Flyers are keeping their eye on things. Maybe the Red Wings would happily accept a trade return mostly made up of players and prospects and Larkin wants to be moved so badly that he adds the Flyers to his trade list. That scenario isn’t so farfetched it feels like a fantasy, but it would make the Flyers pick up their interest to see if they can get a top-end center for at least a few more years.
So, where do the Flyers go from here after softly swinging and missing, and not being a desired destination for one very picky American center? They will just keep on trying. Every elite player that is possibly on the move, they will be involved and try their best to make a deal work, especially if it’s a center or a defenseman.
