Kirill Marchenko
Last season, Kirill Marchenko was the subject of countless trade rumors. The Russian forward was stuck in arbitration limbo and needed a new deal. He was linked to several teams before signing a three-year extension with the Blue Jackets. Eventually, Columbus traded Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens, offloading the Finnish winger for a fresh start as he requested.
But there's still that realm of possibility for a deal. Let's say that Victor Olofsson doesn't pan out for the Vegas Golden Knights. The Swedish winger continues his regression from last season, scoring seven goals and eight assists. Let's also assume Columbus is out of the playoff picture before March. What will McCrimmon do in this scenario? He needs a right wing on the top six lines, with Marchenko's name written all over it.
Granted, there's a small caveat to this. The young winger is due $3.85 million until 2026-27, which could be a hit. However, McCrimmon's known for getting other teams to retain salary, which would help the Golden Knights here. Plus, if acquiring Alexander Holtz was any indication, he prefers younger talent with solid upside. Given that Marchenko has had back-to-back 20+ goal seasons and doesn't have a no-move clause, it could pay dividends if the Blue Jackets aren't contending by March.