Well, on the eve of the NHL season, we have a trade between the Toronto Maple Leaf's and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Here is the breakdown of the trade as posted from Pierre Lebrun below on X:

What Toronto Gets:

Kirill Marchenko is the obvious fantasy headliner for Toronto. The 26-year-old has quietly established himself as a consistent offensive producer, recording 31 goals and 74 points in 2024-25 before following that up with 27 goals and 67 points last season on 218 shots. Moving to Toronto should put him in a better offensive environment than in Columbus, and if he finds himself alongside Auston Matthews, his fantasy ceiling becomes even more interesting. Marchenko has also shown what he can do with top power-play deployment, which could push his production into the point-per-game range in Toronto. I wouldn’t automatically assume Matthews returns to his previous goal-scoring form because of this trade, but adding Marchenko gives him another legitimate offensive option to work with. Toronto also gets Elvis Merzlikins, although his fantasy outlook is much less certain after undergoing offseason surgery with no timetable for his return. Once healthy, he could benefit from playing behind a better team, but with Sergei Bobrovsky already in Toronto, playing time remains the biggest concern.

The trade also creates an interesting negative ripple effect for Gavin McKenna. He was already one of the more intriguing young players in Toronto’s lineup, but Marchenko gives the Leafs another established offensive winger competing for premium deployment. You would have to assume that Marchenko takes that top-line role and PP1 time, then McKenna’s path to the first power-play unit becomes more difficult. His talent should still create plenty of fantasy opportunities, but the arrival of Marchenko makes it harder to project McKenna into a premium offensive role right away. His potential PP1 opportunity was certainly more appealing before this trade.

What Columbus Gets:

Matthew Knies lands in Columbus with a resume of 23 goals and 66 points last season. The Blue Jackets aren’t asking him to become a different player, but a bigger role could push him toward a 70 point season. Knies has shown he can produce alongside elite linemates, and Adam Fantilli gives him another young center capable of driving offense. The power play could be the biggest fantasy factor, as Knies should step onto the top unit immediately in Columbus, thus potentially affecting Valeri Nichuskins deployment. He also remains a strong banger option, averaging 168 hits over his first three NHL seasons while recording 152 last year.

Fantilli is another interesting beneficiary. The Blue Jackets could have the makings of a dangerous young top line, with Knies bringing size, net-front ability, forechecking and physicality while Fantilli provides the puck-carrying and playmaking. The biggest immediate fantasy boost in Columbus, however, could belong to Jet Greaves. He had essentially taken over the Columbus crease already, appearing in 55 games compared to 30 for Merzlikins. However, with Merzlikins now gone, the path to 60-plus starts is much clearer. Greaves is coming off 26 wins, a .908 SV% and a 2.60 GAA, giving him a solid fantasy foundation. If Columbus takes another step forward, the added workload should create more opportunities for Greaves.

Who This Helps:

Kirill Marchenko

Jett Greaves

Matthew Knies

Auston Matthews

Adam Fantilli

How This Hurts:

Gavin McKenna

Elvis Merzlikins

Valeri Nichushkin