Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has finally addressed the Kirill Marchenko chatter, and while he stopped short of shutting the door, he made it clear there’s no urgency to move the forward.
Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reported that Waddell expects Marchenko to be at training camp when it opens on September 16. Waddell also pointed to Marchenko’s contract status when asked about the possibility of a deal.
"He's a player under contract, we control the situation, like with every player under contract. Teams have called me, but if we're going to make a deal, it's going to be a deal that helps the Columbus Blue Jackets.”
That’s a notable shift in tone for a player whose name has been tied closely to the Montreal Canadiens. For fans in Montreal who’ve been watching the situation, this is the first real sign that a trade is at least on the table, even if nothing appears close.
Aaron Portzline had already cooled the speculation by saying there were no concrete developments in motion, but Waddell’s comments still give the story a different feel. The Blue Jackets aren’t saying Marchenko is available for anything and everything - only that calls are coming in and Columbus will listen on its own terms.
Marchenko, 26, is in the final season of a three-year, $11.55 million contract and is set to become a restricted free agent next summer. The interest isn’t hard to understand. He put up 67 points last season, including 27 goals, and that kind of production is exactly why teams keep checking in.
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