Teams that are interested in Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko could find him expensive to acquire. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche face questions over how they'll replace Valeri Nichushkin after trading him to Columbus in a cost-cutting move.
Trade rumors have swirled around Kirill Marchenko since June, when ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported the 26-year-old winger was unwilling to sign an extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Marchenko faced questions about his contract status when he reported to training camp last week. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, his evasiveness did nothing to silence the speculation.
Understandably, Blue Jackets fans are concerned that Marchenko will be the latest in a string of players who have left the club over the years, some of whom were pending unrestricted free agents.
However, Portzline observed that Marchenko will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. That means the Blue Jackets will have leverage because they still control his rights.
NHL Insider Chris Johnston believes Blue Jackets management and Marchenko's camp will play nice this season. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be surprised if general manager Don Waddell monitors the winger's value in the trade market this season.
TSN's Darren Dreger observed that the Montreal Canadiens were among the teams linked to Marchenko during the off-season but believed that acquiring the scoring winger would be expensive.
Dreger noted that the Blue Jackets will set a high asking price in assets for Marchenko. He also felt it could cost around $12 million annually to sign him.
Considering how much players' salaries have risen since this summer, Marchenko's next contract could reach $14 million per season, especially if he has a career-best performance this season.
How Will Avalanche Replace Nichushkin?
Turning to the Colorado Avalanche, limited salary cap space forced them to trade two-way winger Valeri Nichushkin to the Blue Jackets.
Corey Masisak of The Denver Post thinks it could be difficult for the Avalanche to replace Nichushkin, calling him “a massively valuable player” when he was healthy and available.
Masisak believes the Avalanche will attempt to replace Nichushkin’s offense with off-season acquisition Jaden Schwartz. They’ll look to Artturi Lehkonen, Nicolas Roy, or recently-acquired Zachary L’Heureux to step up as penalty killers.
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic could also turn to the trade market for help. He hopes to accrue salary-cap space this season to have wiggle room for potential moves at the March 1 trade deadline.
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