Kirill Marchenko was one of the players who wasn’t in top form at the Blue Jackets’ training camp

DansLesCoulisses.com
Kirill Marchenko was one of the players who wasn’t in top form at the Blue Jackets’ training camp
Credit: Kirk Irwin/NHLI via Getty Images

The Kirill Marchenko saga has finally come to an end following the trade that sent him to Toronto, but now other stories about him are quietly resurfacing.

About ten days ago, we reported that two players had shown up at the Blue Jackets' training camp out of shape. That had really riled up head coach Rick Bowness.

One of those two players is reportedly Marchenko. That's what former NHL goaltender Andrew Raycroft revealed on NHL Radio on Monday.

This really shows just how much Marchenko no longer wanted to play in Columbus.

With the new collective bargaining agreement rules, teams are no longer allowed to conduct physical tests at the start of training camp. Some coaches used to take advantage of this, but now it's the turn of players like Marchenko to exploit the system.

Bowness isn't one to mince words either. He's a coach who can be very tough and demands a lot from his players. It's only natural to see him frustrated by players who don't take things seriously.

This whole situation could be concerning for the Maple Leafs. Marchenko likely showed up to camp out of shape because of his conflict with the team, but perhaps he really is a lazy player.

It's strange for the Leafs to go from a player like Matthew Knies, who plays with grit and physical intensity, to a player like Marchenko who lets himself go.

It makes you wonder if word of this hasn't reached Kent Hughes and the Canadiens. We know Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis's strategy: they want to build a team with players who have a good attitude.

Maybe it's this kind of story that would have made Hughes reluctant to overpay for Marchenko.

And it's not certain that the Habs were ready to pay the price the Leafs offered for the Russian's services.

As mentioned earlier in this article, Rick Bowness isn't one to mince words. We can expect him to weigh in on Marchenko's departure—and let's just say we don't expect him to sing his former forward's praises.


In Brief

– Matthew Knies will wear No. 89 with the Blue Jackets.

– Jake Sanderson's availability remains unclear.

– The Rocket players' new numbers.

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