The Maple Leafs May Have a Marchenko Problem Already

Well, that didn't take long. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Matthew Knies to Columbus on Monday, brought in Kirill Marchenko as the big piece of the deal, signed him to a massive new contract (six years, $75 million, or $12.5 million AAV) and then got ready to open the season against Montreal tonight. And now Marchenko might not even be available.

According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Marchenko still has to complete the work visa process before he can play for the Leafs. His status for tonight's opener remains unclear, and because Toronto plays a back-to-back to start the season, he could miss both games. You have to admit, the timing is almost comical.

The Marchenko Era Might Have to Wait.

This isn't an injury. It isn't a conditioning problem. It isn't a coach's decision. It's paperwork. That makes it especially frustrating because the point of trading Knies was to change the Maple Leafs’ look immediately. Marchenko is supposed to step into a top-six role, bring his speed and scoring ability to the lineup and likely get a look on the No. 1 power-play unit. He scored 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games for Columbus last season, so Toronto didn't acquire him to ease him into fourth-line minutes. Now the team may have to start its new era without him.

There's another wrinkle here. Marchenko was acquired only Monday, so even if the visa comes through and he plays tonight, he's jumping into a brand-new team with almost no time to get comfortable. New linemates. New systems. New coaches. New city. New everything. That's a lot to absorb before the national anthem.

For the Maple Leafs, This Is More Annoying Than It Is Alarming.

I'm not going to turn this into some grand crisis. If Marchenko misses a game or two because of a work visa, the team will survive. It's a long season, and the important thing is getting the player here and getting him settled. But it does make tonight's game more interesting.

Toronto just traded away a player who was supposed to be part of its future and replaced him with a 26-year-old who is supposed to make the team better right now. The Maple Leafs also brought in Miles Wood, while Elvis Merzlikins isn't ready to play because of his shoulder injury.

So the big offseason makeover may have to wait another day before we see one of its most important pieces. Hockey seasons are rarely decided on opening night. Still, after all the talk about Marchenko, the excitement around the Knies trade, and the anticipation of what this new-look Leafs team might look like, it would be a little funny if the first chapter of the Marchenko story began with him sitting in the press box.

Sometimes hockey is complicated. Sometimes it's just paperwork.