Kirill Marchenko's Father-In-Law Gives Reason For Not Wanting To Sign With Columbus

Kirill Marchenko's father-in-law, Igor Varitsky, gave an interview with Sport-express.ru and may have just told us why the talented Russian forward wanted out of Columbus. 

In the interview, he was asked what the main reason was for Marchenko wanting out. Varitsky said, "The athletic component. Kirill wanted to play for a big club and make the playoffs. During his four years in Columbus, there was virtually no prospect of making it. Every year, the coaches change, and a new one comes in with their own vision."

"Columbus currently has no real prospects. Kirill announced his intentions to the general manager, and trade negotiations have been active all summer, especially since August." 

He goes on to say about the coaching, "Here, Kirill was constantly told he couldn't defend. Even though those who watched hockey closely saw the amount of grunt work he put in as a winger. He was constantly dropping back, playing like Fantilli. Sometimes, because of this, he was even missed up front—to keep up the scoring."

"There was some kind of bias. The coach didn't want to see the player's creative side, forcing everyone into a strict framework. Clearly, there should be clear rules, discipline, and a clear direction. But if a player can score and pass, why tie their hands?"

And about playing in Toronto, "Of course. Playing with Matthews is worth it. After all, Fantili's level and Matthews's are two different things."

He went on to say that Montreal was indeed Marchenko's first option, but Columbus wanted too much, and that Montreal wanted to send picks and players with short deals. 

What do you think about this? 

Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7 PM.

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