The Columbus Blue Jackets may be past the Zach Werenski anxiety, but the Kirill Marchenko mess still hangs over their offseason.
General manager Don Waddell has already dealt with one star situation easing up, with the reigning Norris Trophy winner and Olympic gold medalist now content to stay put and keep pushing the Blue Jackets toward playoff-level hockey. Marchenko, though, is still a different story.
Waddell has been open about the kind of trade conversations he’s having around the 26-year-old winger, and the message has been clear: he is not looking to move Marchenko for a pile of futures. Marchenko, who posted 67 points in 76 games last season and has scored at least 21 goals in each of his four NHL seasons, remains a player with real value and real leverage in any deal.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton dug into the bind Columbus is in and why this is such a tough trade to navigate.
Yaremchuk pointed to Waddell’s recent comments on Marchenko’s future: “I’m not calling teams. They’re calling me.
I can’t trade him for picks and prospects. That doesn’t make any sense for our franchise at this point.”
The challenge, as Yaremchuk framed it, is that Waddell wants a hockey trade, not a rebuild-style return, and that can be a hard sell when everyone around the league knows Marchenko is a distressed asset.
Hutton said that’s exactly where the complication starts. A talent-for-talent move sounds good in theory, but it gets messy fast when another team wants to send back a player, or possibly a contract, that fits the deal. He also noted that Marchenko brings upside, and with Fantilli locked up, Columbus can’t really afford to move out a scorer and simply replace him with draft capital.
For Hutton, that’s the crux of it: the Blue Jackets are trying to win now, so adding picks without getting immediate help back doesn’t line up with where the franchise is headed. That tension, he said, is the biggest issue facing Waddell as he tries to sort out the Marchenko situation.
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With the NHL season opener closing in, the trade market around the Blue Jackets has picked up a little more intrigue, and Kirill Marchenko is part of the conversation. Montreal has emerged as the team linked to the winger, giving Columbus another name to monitor as clubs around the league sort through last-minute roster questions and try to find upgrades before the games start to count.
For Columbus, the timing matters because any move involving Marchenko would have to bring back help that actually fits the long-term picture, not just another body. The broader market has been moving in fits and starts, too, with Carolina's talks on defenseman Alexander Nikishin falling apart over contract issues and Edmonton still looking for a right-shot center, which only adds to the sense that one deal elsewhere could trigger a bigger ripple on the Jackets' side. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Are Suddenly In The Middle Of A Massive Roster Gamble
The Blue Jackets have suddenly found themselves at the center of a major roster conversation, with reports saying Columbus and Toronto are in advanced discussions on a trade that would reshape both lineups. The talks are still fluid, but the framework appears to involve more than a simple one-for-one swap, with goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and salary cap pieces also part of the negotiations as both sides try to make the numbers work.
What makes this especially delicate for Columbus is that the deal hinges on one important layer beyond the player movement itself. The two teams are still working through the final terms, and the conversation has moved to whether the key forward involved would be willing to lock in a long-term commitment before anything is completed. Until that part is settled, the Blue Jackets are left weighing a gamble that could meaningfully alter their roster in one swing. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Huge Kirill Marchenko Decision Amid Trade Talks
Trade chatter around Kirill Marchenko has quickly turned into one of the more consequential storylines facing Columbus, with the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs still working through the framework of a deal. Marchenko has become the focal point because any move involving him is not just about the present roster, but also about what kind of commitment comes next for a team trying to build with some certainty.
Toronto has already been given permission to speak with Marchenkos agent about an extension, which gives the talks a different feel than a typical swap. Even so, no contract has been reached, and the two sides are still negotiating both the trade terms and the possibility of locking in Marchenko beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]