Kirill Marchenko and Rick Bowness are suddenly tied to a Blue Jackets file that could get loud fast.
The spark here is simple. Kevin Weekes' report says Marchenko is reportedly unlikely to re-sign in Columbus, and that instantly changes how the Blue Jackets have to read the next few months.
That matters because this is not a middle-six winger slipping through the cracks. Marchenko just finished one of the strongest offensive seasons on the roster and did it while still carrying a manageable cap number.
NHL.com lists Marchenko at 25, and his 2025-26 line was 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 76 games.
Those are not easy numbers to replace. They put him second on the club in scoring behind Zach Werenski, which means this is a real core-piece question for Columbus, not a side conversation.
The contract adds pressure. Marchenko is entering the final season of the 3-year, 11.55 million deal he signed in July 2024, which works out to a 3.85 million AAV.
That is exactly why this gets complicated now. If the Blue Jackets think an extension is slipping away, they have to decide whether they are still building around him or whether they need to start protecting the asset.
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A major development could change everything for Kirill Marchenko
The timing makes it worse for the Blue Jackets. Rick Bowness is already back for 2026-27 after taking over midseason, so the club is trying to steady the room, not open another major uncertainty around one of its best scorers.
And Marchenko is not only producing goals. NHL.com shows he also gave Columbus 23 power-play points, 7 game-winning goals, and a plus-7 rating, which tells you his impact went beyond raw finish.
That is what makes this file dangerous. A 25-year-old winger with size, scoring touch, and one year left on a team-friendly number is exactly the kind of player other clubs start circling hard.
From Columbus' side, the hope would be that this is leverage talk and not a final direction. But if the read around the league is right, Don Waddell may be heading toward one of the hardest decisions on his board.
Because once a player this productive starts sounding uncertain, the question changes quickly. It stops being about what he has done. It becomes about whether the Blue Jackets can keep him before the market starts imagining him somewhere else.
Should the Blue Jackets move Kirill Marchenko if an extension looks unlikely?
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