“I think Kirill Marchenko wants to wait until July 1 to test the market.”

Félix Forget
“I think Kirill Marchenko wants to wait until July 1 to test the market.”
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Kirill Marchenko has been at the center of quite a few rumors. There's been a lot of talk in recent weeks that he doesn't intend to sign a long-term contract with the Blue Jackets… and that he could eventually be traded.

Will it be a short-term deal? Not necessarily… but it's not impossible either.

It's worth noting, however, that Marchenko will be in the final year of his contract in 2026–27. He'll therefore become a restricted free agent on July 1… and it makes you wonder how the Jackets will handle that.

And Aaron Portzline, who covers the team for The Athletic, mentioned on The Athletic Hockey Show that the team doesn't expect to be able to reach an agreement with Marchenko by the start of the season.

The reporter believes that Marchenko's plan, at this point, is to wait until July 1 to gauge the market.

At that point, Marchenko will be eligible to sign a hostile offer. He won't be a free agent, but he'll have leverage to secure a big contract with a team of his choosing.

Although one might think that the Blue Jackets, in order to maximize his value, would likely prefer to trade him before that becomes a possibility.

It's been clear since the start of the summer that salaries are skyrocketing in the NHL, and Marchenko might decide it's best to wait a little longer to secure an even bigger payday. The salary cap is expected to rise substantially again next year, and there will be teams looking to spend.

We'll see if the Canadiens, who seem to have a genuine interest in Marchenko, will be among those teams… and whether acquiring him might involve a trade or a hostile bid.


In a Nutshell

– Enjoy the show.

– Makes sense.

– Indeed.

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