Report: Kirill Marchenko Unlikely to Extend His Contract With the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets missed the playoffs this season, and with news of the team taking calls on Norris-Trophy-winning defenseman Zach Werenski, NHL Insider Kevin Weekes provided an update on another Blue Jackets star, Kirill Marchenko. 

Weekes reported that the Blue Jackets' star forward was unwilling to extend his deal that expires at the end of the 2026-27. His current contract pays him an average annual value of $3.85 million, and he has proven himself to be a legitimate top-six forward in the organization. 

Last season, he played 76 games and scored 67 points (20 goals, 47 assists) and was a fixture on the team's top line. 

GM Don Waddell has been busy with the intent of adding talent to push the team deep into the postseason, adding former Valeri Nichushkin from the Colorado Avalanche. But it looks as if Marchenko and Werenski are bailing on the team that drafted them. 

Kevin Weekes just said Kirill Marchenko is unlikely to extend with the Blue Jackets. Wow

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) June 27, 2026

Marchenko has played all 292 games in his NHL career with the Blue Jackets and hasn't had a season below 20-goals in four years wearing the union blue. 

Marchenko's contract expires at age 26, putting him into restricted free agent territory, giving the next team that can make a deal happen control over his rights. 

NHL Insider Frank Seravalli reported earlier that the Montreal Canadiens submitted an insane offer for the Russian forward earlier, but didn't give us any details on the assets involved. 

“I don’t know the pieces involved,” he said. “But some of the way that it’s been framed to me has been “The Canadiens might look borderline insane for putting this deal on the table for Marchenko”, that’s how big or significant that it is.”

Marchenko could net the Blue Jackets a nice haul of assets if they can finalize a trade, given how much teams are paying for talent this postseason; see Brady Tkachuk. 

His career totals as a Blue Jacket: 292 GP, 208 points (102 goals, 106 assists), and was selected 49th overall in the second-round of the 2018 NHL Draft.