The Columbus Blue Jackets have had an unfortunate summer, and matters will worsen if star Kirill Marchenko doesn't sign a contract extension. If he leaves, it will be devastating for the Jackets.
To say the Columbus Blue Jackets have had a less-than-ideal off-season would be to put it mildly.
The Jackets barely made any additions of note this summer. Star defenseman Zach Werenski was nearly traded to the Dallas Stars. They also still haven't signed RFA star center Adam Fantilli, and troublingly, Fantilli isn’t in training camp. The only news this off-season, for the most part, has been bad.
And another star who should be part of the foundation for the future – winger Kirill Marchenko – sure sounds non-committal when it comes to staying in Columbus after his current contract ends at the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.
“I play hockey. I can talk only about hockey," Marchenko told media Friday. “It’s not my side, the business side. It’s on (Columbus GM Don Waddell) and (Marchenko’s agent Dan Milstein), and they figure out everything. My goal is to be ready on the ice.”
The 26-year-old Marchenko has been the Blue Jackets’ top goal-producer over the past three seasons, generating 81 goals and 171 points in 233 games since 2023-24. Marchenko’s current contract – paying him $3.85 million per season – has been a terrific bargain. But sooner or later, teams have to pay the piper to their young stars, and Columbus’s inability to sign Marchenko long-term is a serious issue.
Marchenko still has one year remaining on the three-year contract he signed in June 2024. He’ll be an RFA once his deal expires at the end of this season, and in theory, Waddell and the Jackets have control of Marchenko.
But the rash of trade demands of late demonstrates that, if a player doesn’t want to stay in a particular market, their GM will almost certainly be forced to move that player, more than likely for pennies on the dollar.
Is that what’s in store for Marchenko and the Blue Jackets? You can’t say that for certain. But if Marchenko decides not to sign an extension and forces his way out of Columbus, he’ll be next to impossible to replace adequately.
Marchenko is arbitration-eligible, which means he could wait to meet an arbitrator, sign a one-year contract that walks him into unrestricted free agency, and head to any team of his choosing.
The ripple effect of Marchenko leaving could directly impact the future of Werenski and Fantilli. If the Jackets can’t keep Marchenko, no other talent will want to come to Columbus. It’s a vicious circle unfolding for the Jackets, and if you’re a Columbus fan who’s grown accustomed to letdowns and frustration, losing Marchenko, Werenski, and/or Fantilli could be one of the last straws for supporting this organization.
It wouldn’t be the end of the world for the Blue Jackets if Marchenko does want out. Waddell could trade him at some point this season and recoup solid assets to help them long term. But at some point, Columbus fans need to see that there’s legitimate high-end talent that (a) consistently produces above-average results, and (b) wants to be a Blue Jacket for the long haul.
Marchenko is providing above-average results, but his unwillingness to sign an extension – or even discuss the possibility in public – speaks volumes. Waddell is under all kinds of pressure to get his team on the right track. Still, every day that passes without an extension for Marchenko only increases the possibility that Marchenko has no intention of staying in Columbus.
The Blue Jackets are up against it just to be on the fringes of the Stanley Cup playoff race this season, and losing Marchenko would be devastating. Unfortunately, when you lose as much as the Jackets have lost, you start to become radioactive to players, inside and outside the organization.
And if Waddell can’t convince Marchenko to stay – and stay without seriously overpaying him in the process – the blowback for the Blue Jackets will result in a stain on the franchise that won’t be easily removed.
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