Kirill Marchenko Doesn’t Sound Set on Staying in Columbus

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Kirill Marchenko Doesn’t Sound Set on Staying in Columbus

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Sep 19, 2026 1:46 PM ET

There was a ton of noise around the Columbus Blue Jackets’ two best players, Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, this offseason, and that will continue to be the case until either or both sign extensions to stick around.

While Werenski has been more open about his commitment to Columbus, at least for this year, Marchenko was much more guarded when asked about his future with the team on Friday.

Marchenko said:

“Too many good questions right now. I want to play hockey, that’s what I can say right now, and I don’t want to give you another lot of things. I just love my teammates, love to enjoy the practices, enjoy the hockey. It’s my favorite thing in the world, and I just do my job and yeah… (Do you like playing hockey here?) Yeah, I love to play hockey. (Columbus?) Haha, it’s a good question,”

The 26-year-old Marchenko is poised to enter the third and final year of the three-year, $11.55 million contract extension he signed with the Blue Jackets in 2024. He tallied 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 76 games played last season.

As Marchenko mentioned himself, he didn’t want to say anything that could get taken out of context given his English, though he also didn’t say much to suggest he’s keen on remaining in Columbus long term.

Because of that, questions and doubt about the star winger’s future as a Blue Jacket are going to be there moving forward, and that will especially be the case if they come out of the gates slow to start the 2026-27 campaign. How next season goes could ultimately determine the direction of the franchise and whether the core will continue to revolve around Werenski and Marchenko.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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