Kirill Marchenko: The Blue Jackets are open to a trade

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Kirill Marchenko: The Blue Jackets are open to a trade
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

It's been a while since we've talked about Kirill Marchenko.

We can all agree that the Blue Jackets' summer has been chaotic, and that the Russian (due to the rumors surrounding him) is one of the reasons why that's been the case.

Adam Fantilli and (especially) Zach Werenski are also to blame, of course.

There were rumors surrounding Marchenko at the start of the offseason, but there was also a new wave of them about a month ago. Thanks to his agent for that.

But where do we stand today?

It's getting late in the offseason to make a move, but nothing is impossible. And we imagine Kent Hughes is keeping tabs on the situation, just in case anything were to change.

And from the Blue Jackets' perspective? According to reporter Brian Hedger (The Columbus Dispatch), the expectation is this: the Russian should be a member of the team when training camp opens.

Still, there's a noticeable shift in tone.

Earlier this summer, Don Waddell said Marchenko would be a member of the Blue Jackets at the start of the 2026–2027 season. But now, he's left the door open, which signals a shift in tone.

“Teams have called me, but if we make a trade, it will be to help the Blue Jackets.” – Don Waddell

Before, the door was closed. But now?

Without saying it's wide open, it still sounds like a GM who's publicly leaving himself an out so he can justify a potential trade.

Because the GM could very well have said that nothing has changed and that Marchenko wasn't going anywhere. Instead, he opened the door to a trade while also reminding everyone that he's in control of the situation.

Hmm…


In a nutshell

– Stay tuned for updates.

– Will he finally retire?

– Oh, really?

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