The Blue Jackets are staring at a decision that can’t wait, and the cleanest answer is the hardest one: move Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko now and get the biggest return possible.
That’s the reality after a week that landed on the 5th Line like a nuclear bomb. What looked like a team beginning to turn the corner suddenly became something else entirely, with the Blue Jackets’ two biggest stars signaling they no longer want to be part of the future in Columbus.
It changes everything about this offseason. What once looked like a summer built around Werenski, Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson and Denton Mateychuk now forces GM Don Waddell to adjust on the fly.
He was clearly blindsided by both players, but he does have one thing going for him: time. Waddell can sort this out at his own pace and do what’s best for the franchise, though the move should come this summer.
Behind the scenes, the situation with Werenski appears to be heading in one direction. He has two years left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent, and he has made it somewhat clear - it’s still murky, to be fair - that he does not plan to re-up with the Blue Jackets.
Waddell could keep the reigning Norris Trophy winner and try to sell him on the idea that Columbus can win. But that’s a risky play for a team that still hasn’t cleared the playoff hurdle. The Blue Jackets are still working toward a wild card spot, while Werenski has Stanley Cup aspirations.
There’s also the simple matter of timing. Werenski had once committed to sticking around for a rebuild, but now he seems to have decided he’s too good for Columbus.
He’ll be 30 when that contract comes due, which is why this feels like the moment to strike. His trade value may never be higher than it is right now.
Any team that lands him gets two years of a reasonable cap hit and a defenseman with a Norris Trophy on the résumé. Columbus, meanwhile, can turn that into a haul that could shape the next decade.
Marchenko presents a different but still urgent call. He has one year left, but as a restricted free agent, he remains under team control for at least two seasons. That gives the Blue Jackets some room to breathe, and maybe even a chance to convince him to stay.
He’s 25, and there’s at least a case to be made that Columbus’ Cup window will be opening around the same time he’s in his prime. Maybe a player like Valeri Nichushkin could help talk him off the ledge. It’s an intriguing idea.
Still, the safer play may be to deal him while the market is hot. Waddell may not get a bigger return for Marchenko than what is rumored to be available this summer. And if he waits, there’s injury risk, plus the possibility of dragging a distraction into next season.
That’s the bigger concern here. If Waddell can’t get a real read from Marchenko and his agent, then the answer is simple: take the best package now and move on. The last thing Columbus needs is a player getting booed at home or a locker room that starts to crack.
The Blue Jackets are in a rare spot, with plenty of teams trying to reshape their rosters and chase a Cup. That creates buyers, and it creates leverage.
So the obvious move is the one that stings: trade both. Columbus has never had this much talent, and the market for these two players is as strong as it’s going to get. Two major hockey trades could be exactly what sends this franchise down a new path for the next decade.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Suddenly Face The Core Shakeup Bowness Never Saw Coming
Rick Bowness didnt sound like a coach preparing for a routine offseason when he addressed the state of his Blue Jackets roster. The surprise came from the timing as much as the news itself, because he said the teams end-of-year meetings had wrapped with everyone on good terms before the situation shifted. For Columbus, it is a reminder that the front office and coaching staff may be staring at a very different core when next season opens.
Bowness has kept himself at arms length from the contract and trade conversations, saying he will coach the players who are in camp and leave the personnel side to Don Waddell and Judd Moldaver. Even so, the uncertainty hanging over major pieces of the roster is impossible to ignore, especially when it touches players the organization has leaned on as part of its longer-term plan. The next few months will tell whether this becomes a temporary disturbance or the start of a far bigger reset. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Face A Free Agency Crossroads That Could Reshape This Roster
The Hurricanes head into free agency with $11.105 million in cap space and most of last seasons roster already accounted for, but the real pressure point may be on the blue line. Restricted free agent Alexander Nikishin emerged as a major part of Carolinas plans as a rookie, and general manager Eric Tulsky has already made clear how important he is to the team, even if the exact contract path is still being sorted out.
Beyond Nikishin, Carolina is also weighing the rest of the market for ways to strengthen its lineup, with unrestricted free agent Mason Marchment among the names tied to the team. The fit is obvious enough: a club with a mostly set core still has room to add, but the way it balances a key young defenseman against outside help could determine whether this summer is about fine-tuning or something closer to a roster reset. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face Another Huge Decision On Elvis And Kent Johnson
The Blue Jackets are again staring at a roster decision that goes beyond simple asset management, with Aaron Portzline pointing to Kent Johnson as the kind of player Columbus is reluctant to move because of his skill and upside. That hesitation says as much about where the franchise is trying to go as any move on the table, since the front office is still weighing whether its next step should be built around young talent it believes in or around a cleaner reset elsewhere on the roster.
Elvis Merzlikins sits in a different category, but one that may be just as important for what Columbus wants next. The goalie situation has been a lingering issue, and the discussion around it is tied to a broader push to reshape the room and the teams culture before next season. Whether the Blue Jackets choose to make one of those changes, or hold on longer than expected, will say plenty about how aggressively they plan to alter the look and feel of this group. [Read more 🡒]