Kirill Marchenko is back in Columbus, and that alone has turned up the heat on the Blue Jackets heading into the 2026-27 season.
A lot of people spent the summer wondering whether he would be wearing a different sweater, with the Montreal Canadiens mentioned as a possible destination. Instead, after a conversation with The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig, it became clear that GM Don Waddell has no plans to trade Marchenko. He’s in town for training camp already, and now the real question is what kind of season the Blue Jackets need from him.
The answer is simple: a big one.
Marchenko’s offensive bar has been raised to star level, and anything short of that will make the conversation around his future a lot more complicated. If he is going to be part of Columbus long term, the production has to match the paycheck that could come next.
His agent, Dan Milstein, is pushing for a massive extension, but the Blue Jackets are not going to hand one out unless the numbers on the ice justify it. With Marchenko set to become a restricted free agent next summer, this season matters even more.
The goal total is where the pressure really lands. Marchenko needs at least 30 goals for the season to count as a success, and realistic expectations in Columbus push that even higher.
He has already shown he can score, with a career high of 31 goals, but now he is entering his fifth NHL season. The expectation is that he should clear that mark and give the Jackets something closer to 40-plus goals.
That kind of jump would put him where the organization wants him: at the center of the offense. He does have help around him.
Zach Werenski gives him a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman behind the play, and Valeri Nichushkin arrives from the Colorado Avalanche with the kind of top-end experience that could make life easier for Marchenko. Add Adam Fantilli at center, and Columbus has put together a trio it expects to be its best group every time it steps over the boards.
Fantilli has his own pressure coming into the year because of ongoing extension talks, which only adds to the stakes for that line. If Marchenko hits the level Columbus is asking for, those three could drive the entire attack.
But goals are only part of the assignment.
Marchenko also has to keep creating for others. He finished last season with 40 assists, just one shy of his career best of 43 from 2024-25, but the way his offense faded late in the year is something the Blue Jackets cannot afford to see again. The production from his line fell off completely down the stretch, and he has to be the one to help make sure that doesn’t happen a second time.
He also needs to matter on the power play. Whether it is pulling defenders toward him, making them respect his shot, or opening space in the middle of the ice, Marchenko has to be a factor in every part of the Blue Jackets’ offense.
Defensively, the team is not asking him to reinvent himself. Columbus would obviously like to see improvement there, but the way they’ve built the line says plenty.
Nichushkin and Fantilli are there to cover for any drop-off if Marchenko is pushing the play the way his offensive profile suggests he should. Even then, Rick Bowness will not be handing out ice time to anyone who can’t handle the defensive side of the game.
For Columbus, this is about more than one player taking a step. If the Blue Jackets want to get back to the playoffs, they need Marchenko to become the star forward they believe he can be. If he doesn’t, the season could turn into something even messier, with other teams possibly circling at the deadline and trying to pry him away for a run at the Stanley Cup.
For now, though, he is still a Blue Jacket. And that means the expectations are only getting louder.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Face One Big Kirill Marchenko Trade Problem
Don Waddell has at least left the door open on Kirill Marchenko, saying the Blue Jackets will listen if another team makes an offer worth considering. For now, though, Columbus is not actively shopping the winger, and that matters because Marchenko has become the kind of player other clubs monitor closely when they think a team might be tempted to move a scorer for future assets.
The wrinkle is that Waddell does not sound interested in any swap that strips away Marchenkos offense without helping replace it, which makes the market harder to navigate. Montreal and the Islanders have both checked in, but there is skepticism around whether the right fit is even there, and until a deal can bring back immediate help for the lineup, this looks more like background noise than a move waiting to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Don Waddell Knows What Must Change After Blue Jackets Collapse
Don Waddell spent the aftermath of a disappointing Blue Jackets season laying out why the club had to look inward as much as outward. After a coaching change and a finish that left Columbus outside the playoffs, the GM pointed to offseason work on the roster and behind the scenes, including changes in the scouting department designed to sharpen the teams European reach. He also stressed that the Jackets need more consistent contributions throughout the lineup, not just from the top end, if they want the season to look different next spring.
The other adjustments reach beyond the ice, and they say plenty about how the organization is trying to reset. Columbus is moving its game presentation to a radio simulcast, a decision tied to the clubs financial picture as it sorts through the ripple effects of reduced television revenue and tighter spending. For Waddell, the message is clear: the Jackets are trying to change not just how they play, but how they operate. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Kirill Marchenko Trade Question With Real Stakes
Kirill Marchenko has become one of the more interesting names to watch around the Blue Jackets as the offseason chatter continues to build. With training camps getting closer and teams still sorting out their forward groups, the wingers value is drawing attention beyond Columbus, and the kind of attention that usually means someone believes there is a real fit to be made.
For the Blue Jackets, the question is less about whether Marchenko can help another club and more about what it would take to justify moving him at all. He is part of the offense Columbus would have to replace if it ever entertained a deal, which is why any serious discussion figures to come with a significant asking price and plenty of hesitation on both sides. [Read more 🡒]