The Washington Capitals spent this offseason like a team that knows its window is closing. They traded for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch. They signed Boone Jenner and Vincent Desharnais. And maybe most importantly, Alex Ovechkin decided to run it back for another year.
That last part is the key. Ovechkin isn’t playing forever. He’s chasing history, sure, but he’s also chasing another Cup. The Capitals built a roster that can compete right now. They just don’t have much cap space to work with. About $1.14 million left, give or take. That’s not nothing, but it’s tight.
So when reports surfaced that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko might be on the move, it made you wonder. Daria Tuboltseva of RG reported that Marchenko is expected to be traded soon, with the Montreal Canadiens mentioned as one possible destination and another team unnamed. The Capitals could be that other team.
Marchenko is Russian. That matters here. Not in some forced, marketing-department way. It matters because Ovechkin is a generational icon for Russian players. Viktor Kozlov, who played with Ovechkin and Sergei Fedorov in Washington, told The Athletic that Ovi is a childhood hero for a lot of Russian kids who grew up watching him. Marchenko is one of those guys. The chance to play alongside Ovechkin, especially in what could be his final season, is the kind of thing that can sway a trade request or a contract negotiation.
Marchenko has been solid for Columbus. He scored 31 goals in 2024-25 and added 43 assists. This past season, he put up 27 goals and 40 helpers. That’s top-line production for the Blue Jackets. For Washington, he’d slide into a deeper lineup. Maybe even fourth-line minutes, which says a lot about how stacked this team looks on paper.
The financial piece is tricky but not impossible. Marchenko carries a $3.85 million cap hit in the final year of his deal. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this season. To make the numbers work, Washington would need to clear about $2.5 million. Anthony Beauvillier, who makes $2.75 million and is on an expiring contract, becomes expendable if Marchenko comes in. A trade built around Beauvillier plus picks or a prospect could get it done.
If the Capitals add Marchenko, their forward group looks absurd. Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and Kyrou on the first line. That trio combined for 168 points last season. Second line: Tuch, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson, a group that put up 147 points even with Dubois missing 53 games. Third line: Aliaksei Protas, Jenner and Ryan Leonard, good for 135 points. Fourth line: Marchenko, Justin Sourdif and Ilya Protas, another 106 points. That’s a lot of scoring depth, even by modern NHL standards.
The Capitals open the season October 2 against the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes on the road. They play Tampa Bay the next night, then come home to host Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on October 7. If Marchenko is in the lineup by then, the conversation around this team changes. Not just about the regular season. About whether they can actually win it all before Ovechkin hangs them up for good.
Leave a Comment