Marchment's Hot Start Gives Blue Jackets Some Intriguing Options

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mason Marchment celebrates goal with teammates

The Columbus Blue Jackets' trade for Mason Marchment is turning out to be a stroke of genius. With three goals in his first two games with the Jackets, he's closing back in on a 20-goal pace after a very slow start to the season with the Seattle Kraken.

But in addition to the offensive boost he's given Columbus, Marchment has given the team some intriguing options moving forward this season, as cited by insider Frank Seravalli on his Bleacher Report Insider Notebook.

But Columbus is dead-last in the Eastern Conference, and the big, physical, two-way power forward is a pending UFA. So why would they be buying on a rental and giving up draft picks?

The answer is two-fold. First of all, notes the insider, Marchment obviously makes them better. And secondly, Don Waddell, then the Carolina Hurricanes GM, was a close runner-up in the bidding to land Marchment in free agency in the summer of 2022 before he signed with the Dallas Stars. There's obviously interest there.

Blue Jackets can hold & re-sign Marchment, or flip him at deadline

So what it does is it gives them optionality. They didn't really pay a significant price for Mason Marchment, and if they can rejoin the playoff race on his back or with his help, then it's a great move and they can re-sign him if they want to and they might want to anyway. I think they've had some early talks when it comes to that. Or, (if it doesn't look like their playoff push will be successful) they can use him as trade collateral when it comes to the deadline. I think he could be a solid trade chip.

Seravalli believes they can actually flip him for more than the second- and fourth-round picks they sent to Seattle for him last week. At least, certainly if he keeps up the impressive pace in the small sample size in his first two games with Columbus. He did have back-to-back 22-goal seasons coming into this one.

After just four goals in 29 games with the Kraken, Marchment is now up to seven, with 16 points in 31 games.