Elliotte Friedman reveals Islanders' interest in Blue Jackets forward

It should be no surprise that the New York Islanders are looking to upgrade in any way they can this season.

It should also be no surprise that the GM Mathieu Darche is making calls to see what’s out there.

But it just so happens that there might be something out there that could fit the Isles’ plans very well. That something could be Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko.

In the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman seemingly mentioned in passing that the Islanders “have been around that” regarding Marchenko.

Now, that’s an interesting tidbit. The Russian winger has been strongly linked to the Montreal Canadiens throughout the summer. Considering the chatter surrounding the Habs, it makes sense to hear that Marchenko would be on the Canadiens’ radar.

The same logic, nonetheless, could also apply to the Islanders. The Isles could use more scoring. And Marchenko would fit that bill. While it’s true that the Isles have numerous top-tier prospects coming up the pipeline, Marchenko is the sort of addition that a contending team would want to make.

Sure, Victor Eklund and Cole Eiserman are high-end prospects. But they’re not quite ready to help the Islanders win this season.

That’s why Marchenko makes sense. The 26-year-old could easily step into the Isles’ top six and complement the team’s scoring. Marchenko, along with the return of Kyle Palmieri, could be the sort of situation that would push the Islanders to the top of the Metro Division.

What would it cost Islanders to land Marchenko?

Here’s where things get dicey. Landing Marchenko, even as an impending RFA, won’t be easy. The Blue Jackets don’t believe they’re a rebuilding team. If anything, the club believes it can compete for a playoff spot.

As such, letting go of Marchenko for futures just won’t make sense. In fact, the Blue Jackets would want to get something comparable back.

But would it make sense to, say, send someone like Pierre Engvall back in the deal? Sure, Engvall could be a part of the package, but Darche will have to do much better than that.

Furthermore, who could the Islanders realistically send to Columbus that might replace Marchenko?

That’s the conundrum the Isles would face in trying to land Marchenko.

Most likely, the deal won’t happen anytime soon. If anything, there might be a possibility that such a trade could happen at some point during the season. Perhaps somewhere closer to the trade deadline might be a more realistic timeline for such a trade.

By then, the Blue Jackets may have a very different assessment of their situation. Perhaps they might be ready to waive the white flag and accept futures.

Let’s see where this goes. A lot of what happens in Columbus hinges on the Adam Fantilli situation. If the Jackets can figure out a win-win outcome for Fantilli and the organization, there might just be a way that Marchenko stays put.

Otherwise, it might just be a matter of time before everything comes to a head in Columbus.

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