Kirill Marchenko’s name keeps surfacing in Montreal, and the chatter isn’t fading anytime soon.
The latest push comes from podcast host Tony Marinaro and insider Jimmy Murphy, who both believe there’s real smoke around the Canadiens and the 30-goal scorer. On The Sick Podcast, Marinaro said Montreal looks like it is lining itself up as a legitimate contender for Marchenko if the winger ever becomes available. He also put Tampa Bay, Florida, Buffalo and Montreal in the same group, saying those teams will stay active in free agency and try to improve their rosters.
Marinaro and Murphy went a step further, too. Both think Marchenko, and eventually Zach Werenski, will want to move on and “get themselves out of there [Columbus].”
One thread tying Montreal to Marchenko is Ivan Demidov. Demidov shares an agent with Marchenko, Dan Milstein, and Marinaro said Demidov has spoken highly of his time in Montreal.
The two players reportedly stay in touch regularly. Marinaro also pointed to the relationship between Milstein and the Canadiens’ front office as another factor that could matter if Marchenko ever hits the market.
Still, there’s no sign a deal is imminent. A source close to the situation said Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has no intention of trading Marchenko.
The only way that changes, according to that source, is if Marchenko asks out or makes it clear he won’t sign an extension with Columbus. He still has this season to play before becoming a restricted free agent.
For now, Waddell is expecting Marchenko to be in Columbus when training camp opens on Sept. 16, according to Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch. If that changes, though, the Canadiens appear ready to be right there at the front of the line.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Fans Finally Have A Viewing Answer With One Catch
Blue Jackets fans finally have a clearer path to watching the team this season, as Columbus said all 82 of its non-nationally televised games will stream through a new subscription option. The Blue Jackets Hockey Network will live on Amazon Prime, and the club also confirmed its TV broadcast team is back, giving viewers some continuity even as the viewing setup changes.
There is still a catch, of course, because the convenience comes with another bill attached and the full breakdown of free over-the-air games is still to come before opening night. For fans who live outside the market, the usual alternatives remain in place through NHL Center Ice or ESPN+, but the bigger story for Columbus followers is that the long search for a dependable local viewing answer has at least found a starting point. [Read more 🡒]
Kirill Marchenko Just Became A Bigger Blue Jackets Question
Kirill Marchenko has gone from useful piece to a name that can sit in the middle of bigger league conversations, and that alone says something about where the Blue Jackets are headed. Edmonton is reportedly looking at the winger as a possible scoring add, which is the kind of outside interest that tends to follow players who can give a lineup real top-six help. For Columbus, it is another reminder that Marchenko is becoming the sort of asset other teams notice quickly.
The Jackets do have some control here, since Marchenko is signed through the 2026-27 season, and that makes any hypothetical move a costly one. Still, the longer Columbus fights to find its footing, the more this becomes a storyline to watch, especially if negotiations around his future start to drift. Nothing is close right now, but the possibility of a deadline push will keep his name in the conversation as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Fans Can Finally Settle The No. 29 Debate
The Blue Jackets have cycled through a long line of No. 29 wearers since Krzysztof Oliwa first took it in 2000-01, and the number has picked up enough history to make it worth revisiting. Over the years, players like Alexander Selivanov and Marc Methot gave the sweater a different kind of footprint, while later names kept it moving through changing roles, trades and career stops around the NHL.
Patrik Laine stands out in the discussion because his time in Columbus gave No. 29 a far more memorable offensive identity than most of its previous holders. And with Jack Williams now in the number after signing as a free agent in 2025, the jersey has a fresh chapter attached to it, one that gives Blue Jackets fans a current name to watch as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]