Kirill Marchenko committed to playing hard for Columbus this week. He didn't commit to staying there long-term.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell was reportedly seen in Montreal on Tuesday, though there's no confirmation he met with Canadiens GM Kent Hughes or discussed a trade.
The following day carried more weight. Columbus reporter Aaron Portzline reported Waddell had a lengthy conversation with Marchenko as camp opened.
"I'm going to play my butt off here," Marchenko reportedly told his GM, addressing this season without touching his long-term future.
Marchenko posted 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season, following a 74-point breakout the year before. He carries just a $3,850,000 cap hit through this season.
That number is exactly why this stays complicated. A 67-point winger at that price is one of the most efficient contracts in the league, and Columbus knows it.
Waddell's public stance has shifted since July, when he said Marchenko would be a Blue Jacket when the season started. Now he says every player can be moved for the right return.
Why Montreal's real obstacle isn't cap space
Montreal's cap situation is workable even after locking in Zachary Bolduc's new four-year deal, but that's not actually the hard part of this equation.
Waddell wants an NHL-ready player back, not just picks and prospects, since losing Marchenko creates an immediate top-six hole Columbus has to fill right away.
Montreal already has Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Ivan Demidov leading its forward group, and adding Marchenko would make that core even deeper.
But finding a player Montreal is actually willing to give up, one valuable enough for Columbus to say yes, is a much tougher ask than simply offering draft capital.
Marchenko remains a restricted free agent after this season too, giving Columbus more control over the situation than rental-style trade rumors usually carry.
Waddell's door isn't as firmly closed as it was in July. Whether Kent Hughes can actually walk through it before the trade deadline is the real question left standing.
Should the Canadiens give up an NHL roster player to land Kirill Marchenko?
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