Kirill Marchenko: The CH Isn’t the Only Contender

Earlier this evening, it was reported that Kirill Marchenko has no intention of signing a new contract with Columbus. As a result, the forward's name—which had already been making the rounds quite a bit since yesterday—is being mentioned even more tonight.
Will the player, who is reportedly seeking $11 million per year on his next contract, be traded soon? It's not out of the question.
We know that the Habs, according to reports, are really digging into this situation. It's easy to s

The Blue Jays will face the Texas Rangers this afternoon. The team will try to snap a rough four-game losing streak.
And for the occasion, they'll try to shake things up a bit, as Sean Keys makes his Major League debut. Keys, who has hit 21 home runs in 67 minor league games this season, will play first base today.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be the designated hitter… while George Springer will not be in the lineup. We'll come back to that later.
That said, we knew the Jays would have to m

The Giants don’t want to trade Logan Webb.
I don’t understand why. After all, the team is willing to listen to offers for everyone… and Webb will be gone by the time the team could be good again.
And obviously, he's worth a fortune.
Rafael Devers and Willy Adames will be hard to trade because of their contracts. That's why Robbie Ray, Luis Arraez, and Matt Chapman are the players most likely to leave San Francisco before the trade deadline.
Matt Chapman is in the second year o

George Bowering has received the Order of Canada and the Order of B.C. He was Canada’s first Parliamentary Poet Laureate, has written so many books of poetry and prose that it’s hard to count, and has given readings and lectures all over the world.His latest honour is close to home: His personal library has been set up as a reading room at the University of B.C.’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.It isn’t a replica of his home study, like you might find in a museum. But

Carlos Mendoza is gone. The Mets have decided to fire their manager.
Let's face it, this isn't exactly the surprise of the century. After all, the team was heading for disaster… and the six-error game was the final nail in the coffin.
In the baseball world, everyone agrees that Mendoza is a good manager, but that it was time to get him out of there. There was nothing more he could do.
A new voice was needed in the locker room… and David Stearns couldn't just sit back and do nothing

After moving up to the 26th pick to draft Gleb Pugachyov and to the 57th pick to select Timofei Runtso, the Habs decided to keep their 93rd overall pick in the third round.
There was speculation as to whether, just as with Pugachyov and Runtso, the team would opt for another big-framed player.
And once again, that's exactly what happened: the Habs selected Cooper Cleaves, a right-handed defenseman who stands six feet three inches tall and weighs 203 pounds.
Much like Runtso, he's a player who do

Over the past few hours, Kirill Marchenko's name has been gaining traction in Montreal.
The Canadiens are interested in the Blue Jackets' star forward and are said to have put a HUGE offer on the table to sign him.
But that hasn't happened.
Sure, Don Waddell would like to keep him around to rely on him in Columbus for the next few years. But we also know it's unlikely that the Russian (who's looking to earn $11 million per season) will sign another contract with Columbus.
And that changes the ga

We’ve been asking for this for a long time.
The Los Angeles Angels have finally fired their general manager, Perry Minasian. He was in his sixth year as GM and was a controversial figure.
Under his leadership, the Angels haven't exactly been good. The GM was never able to provide his fans with a rotation worthy of the name.
He was in the final year of his contract, and it was suspected that the team's dismal season would lead to this outcome.
What is surprising, however, is the timing of t

After completing the first round yesterday, today we're in for the final six rounds of the NHL Draft.
And the Habs moved up in the second round to make a pick.
Just like last year with Alexander Zharovsky, they traded with the Hurricanes to move up in the second round. They sent the 61st and 125th picks to acquire the 57th.The Canadiens have acquired the 57th overall pick in 2026 from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Montreal's 61st and 125th picks in 2026.
The Canadiens have acquired the

The Canadiens are building a team that has the potential to be good for a very, very long time.
But they're not the only ones.
The Habs have often been talked about as one of the future Stanley Cup contenders… but in the West, there are two teams that are likely to make a big splash in the coming years. I'm talking about the Anaheim Ducks… and the San Jose Sharks.
The Ducks have an excellent core right now: Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Jackson LaCombe, Lukas Dos

So? Are you happy with the Canadiens' pick last night in the first round of the draft?
The Habs stepped up to draft Gleb Pugachyov, a big forward from Russia who looks like a refrigerator on skates when you see him on the ice. The team wanted to add some size, which is why drafting Pugachyov makes sense.
And Habs fans might get to see him pretty soon, too.
We know he still has two years left on his contract with his KHL team (Arpon Basu just confirmed this in a recent tweet), but the young playe

The draft will resume at 11 a.m. this morning.
The Canadiens still have seven picks. Their first pick will come at the end of the second round, 61st overall. That's part of making it to the semifinals in the playoffs: the draft takes longer for the fans.
But it's obviously worth it. Entering Day 2 of the #NHLDraft
, the #Habs
have the following picks:
Round 2 = 61st
, Round 3 = 93rd
, Round 4 = 103rd + 125th
, Round 6 = 189th
, Round 7 = 221st + 224th
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) J

For a young team, having a first-round pick is important—especially after not having one in 2025.
Seeing Gleb Pugachyov join the organization is great news. He's a solid addition for a team that needs to build depth for the future.
We're all on the same page here. Both fans and management are mostly happy to have him in town.
But even if the Canadiens' first-round pick didn't seem to have as much value (on the trade market) as some people think, the fact remains that the club tried to trad

The sky is falling on the Blue Jackets.
Just as the team is starting to hope it can get its head above water, we're learning that the chances of Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko signing new contracts with the team are slim.
Ahh, Americans deserting the Canadian markets—oops, wrong file.
Werenski is two years away from full free agency, and Marchenko is one year away from becoming a restricted free agent. He's also two years away from full free agency.
So in both cases, time is running ou

The first round of the draft is behind us.
It was a long night. For those watching it on TV, it was better than last year… but let's just say it's not the most exciting event of the year.
I could have done without the sofa interview with Gavin McKenna and Justin Bieber, and the GM of the Year award ceremony, too. It just wasn't the right time.
In the end, the Canadiens selected Gleb Pugachyov, a Russian prospect who shoots like a train. Once again, the Habs didn't draft an American in the

The Montreal Canadiens were very quiet last night, even though the NHL Draft offered an evening full of surprises and trades, such as those involving J.J. Peterka, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Mason McTavish.
For many fans and analysts, the Habs missed the boat and made a mistake by still not making a move, but Kent Hughes reassured everyone by saying he was confident they would complete a major trade.
In short, the Habs' only move last night was a trade to move up two spots in the draft in order to sel

Trading Luke Tuch and William Trudeau and moving up in the draft—those are trades.
But when people say that Habs fans are expecting a trade from Kent Hughes, that's not exactly the first thing that comes to mind, let's say.
Expectations are higher than that. And this week, those expectations weren't met.
And Kent Hughes knows it. At a press conference after the first round of the draft, the Canadiens' GM made a point of reassuring the team's fans by telling them that his window of opportun

Marcelo Mayer’s Future in Doubt
The Red Sox are wondering if he's mentally tough enough for MLB. He's also heading to the injured list.
According to @Sean_McAdam, some within the Red Sox organization question Marcelo Mayer's mental toughness, his tendency to withdraw during slumps, and his willingness to play through inevitable minor physical issues. pic.twitter.com/lESzxLKkcq
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) June 26, 2026
Will the Angels make any trades at the deadline?
Who knows.
“Y

Gleb Pugachyov. Let's start right away by learning how to spell his name.
He was the player the Canadiens had their sights set on in the draft. With the 26th overall pick (Kent Hughes moved up two spots), the Habs seem proud of their move.
The Habs wanted to add some size, and with a 6'3”, 225-pounder like him (who hits like a train, too), they've achieved their goal.
They say his floor is pretty high. What that means is that his chances of becoming the player he's capable of being are pre

As we know, the Canadiens have been trying to make trades to improve their roster over the past few weeks. And in the eyes of many, it was only a matter of time before the Habs' first-round pick (28th overall) was traded for that very purpose.
And in the end, they did trade it… to move up two spots.
As a result, the Habs did indeed make a move in the first round tonight, selecting with the 26th pick. It's worth noting that, in return, they sent their 28th pick and their 2027 third-round p

Since yesterday, Kirill Marchenko has been the talk of the NHL. The Blue Jackets forward is reportedly on the radar of several teams, and the Habs are often mentioned as one of the teams most interested in him.
Frank Seravalli claims that Montreal has actually made a massive offer to acquire him.
That said, it's important to remember that Marchenko is one year away from full free agency. Any team looking to sign him would therefore have to offer him a new long-term contract… and Kevin Wee

The Mason McTavish situation has finally been resolved.
According to a recent report by Elliotte Friedman, the Ducks have just completed a trade with the Blues involving the forward.
In return, the Ducks will acquire the 15th and 29th picks in this year's draft. Both picks originally belonged to the Blues and will now be used by the Ducks.Mason McTavish is being traded to STL
for the 15th and 29th picks, I believe
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2026It's worth noting that the D

The first round of the NHL Draft kicked off at 7 p.m. tonight. And, as expected, Gavin McKenna was selected first overall by the Maple Leafs.
So, everything went according to plan.
That said, it's worth noting that with the second overall pick, the Sharks selected Ivar Stenberg. He was a quality addition to a young group of forwards that was already formidable… but more importantly, he was just the first of two top-10 picks for the Sharks.
In fact, the Sharks also held the ninth pick in t

Recently, after watching Sean Keys hit his 20th home run of the season (he's actually up to 21 now) in Double-A and Triple-A, his name has been making the rounds in Toronto.
The Blue Jays were even considering giving him some versatility by having him play in the outfield in Triple-A.
Ross Atkins had left the door open for him to be called up, and now it's happening tomorrow. It's unclear what the corresponding roster move will be.
The young player is on his way to Toronto. He won't be active fo

As MC mentioned in his Music Lounge column this week, Chlöe Bailey dropped a mixtape this week, Resurrection, with Timbaland, and the vibes are so Aaliyah which, naturally, means it’s really good. I’ll leave the music analysis to him next week but for now, just know that Resurrection is a solid summer listen, both current and nostalgic in the right way – at least in my opinion.Let me focus instead on Chlöe in NYC this week promoting the record because it’s made

It's the NHL Draft tonight, with the first round of the 2026 draft taking place tonight in Buffalo.
As a reminder, once again this year, the draft is being held in a decentralized format. 
And with the first pick, the Toronto Maple Leafs made their move. The club won the lottery… and that allowed John Chayka to begin his tenure by selecting the prospect of his choice to kick off the draft.
Unsurprisingly, Gavin McKenna was the team's pick. He was the favorite throughout the process,

MaxMara is synonymous with the camel coat but that’s not what Florence Pugh is advertising here, this is an announcement for a fragrance campaign. Not sure about this styling choice though, it’s a little office casual.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Max Mara (@maxmara)
There’s a huge Vampire Diaries fandom online, so I imagine they are excited for Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley to reunite in an Alex Cooper (of Call Her Daddy) production. It’s based on the book &l

The 2026 NHL Draft is set to begin in a few minutes. And as of now, the Canadiens still hold the 28th overall pick.
We expected that pick to be traded… but it's still in Montreal.
The question is whether the Habs will actually end up making a pick at that spot. We know the team is active and talking to many teams, so there's still a possibility of a trade tonight.
And Kent Hughes, in an interview with TVA Sports before the draft began, was asked whether he would be able to make a trade to

Despite the apparent fairytale that has become Alex Cooper’s life, even before her picturesque wedding in Riviera Maya in 2024 and her recent pregnancy announcement, things are not looking too good on the career front. Not according to a recent piece in Vanity Fair , which chronicled the nightmarish experiences of dozens of Unwell employees.The exposé provided a thorough background on the origins of Call Her Daddy, which anyone who has listened to the podcast some time between its 2

Every year, the NHL conducts a short survey of the league's top prospects who are about to be drafted.
It's no different in 2026.
Among the questions asked of the players was this one: Who is the best goaltender in the NHL? And let's just say the answers are… really interesting.
I say that because 8.4% of the players named Jakub Dobes.
We don't know how many prospects answered the questions, but it's clear that quite a few young players see Dobes as the league's best goaltender. And I'm s