Kirill Marchenko noncommittal about future with Blue Jackets

Earlier this summer, Dan Millstein of Gold Star Hockey shared with ESPN’s Kevin Weekes that Kirill Marchenko wasn’t interested in extending with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although the organization has seemingly worked things out with defenseman Zach Werenski, the same cannot be said of Marchenko.

In his return to the team for the start of training camp, Marchenko’s first press availability was awkward at best. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Marchenko was incredibly elusive and declined to answer any questions about his future with the Blue Jackets.

In an odd twist, Marchenko acted as if he had no idea what transpired earlier in the offseason, saying, “I didn’t see (agent’s comments). Oh, guys, it’s … I don’t know, right? I can talk only about hockey. It’s not my side, the business side, it’s on (GM Don Waddell) and Dan, and they figure out everything. My goal is to be ready on the ice.”

Furthermore, in a separate back-and-forth, Marchenko was asked if he loved playing hockey in Columbus. Instead of saying anything about the team or the city, for that matter, Marchenko simply replied, “Yeah, I love playing hockey.” When asked a follow-up about playing in Columbus specifically, Marchenko said, “It’s a good question. I don’t, uh …. I can say yes because I play here for sure.”

Unless something dramatically changes, as it did with Werenski, Marchenko is seemingly headed into the 2026-27 season with one foot out the door. He is entering the final season of a three-year, $11.55M contract with the Blue Jackets, and will have only one additional year of team control before being eligible for unrestricted free agency.

The biggest issue is Marchenko isn’t some easily replaceable top-six winger, especially for Columbus. He’s arguably been the team’s top forward the past two years, scoring 58 goals and 141 points in 155 games with a +36 rating, averaging 18:46 of ice time per game. Already without Adam Fantilli, who remains unsigned, it’s not a good sign that another top forward is showing little desire to see things through.

Even though he won’t become an unrestricted free agent for another two years, Marchenko could become one of the most sought-after trade candidates this season, especially if Columbus is out of the playoff picture by the deadline. Last season, the Blue Jackets were in the playoff mix until a 3-9-1 record to end the season eliminated all hope.