Moments before the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Oscar Hemming with the No. 14 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes dropped a bomb on the franchise.
Weekes reported on ESPN’s draft broadcast that he’s been told Kirill Marchenko is “unlikely to extend with Columbus” when his current contract expires.
That report adds another layer of uncertainty to an already tense offseason for the Blue Jackets, who have also faced recent questions about Zach Werenski’s long-term future. Reports in recent days have indicated Werenski may not be inclined to extend with Columbus when he becomes eligible, putting general manager Don Waddell in a difficult position with two of the organization’s most important players.
Emily Kaplan said on the broadcast that Waddell is trying to show the Blue Jackets’ core that the organization is serious about winning now, pointing to the recent acquisition of Valeri Nichushkin as a sign that Columbus is pushing forward rather than tearing things down.
“They just want to win,” Kaplan said. “They just want to be shown signs that they’re close, that they’re on a team that’s close.”
Kaplan also stressed that Werenski remains committed to honoring his current contract and believes in building something in Columbus, even if the larger question is whether the Blue Jackets can prove they are close enough to contention.
John Buccigross said he would not rush to trade either player, arguing Columbus should make it clear that both Marchenko and Werenski are expected to play for the Blue Jackets this season.
“If I’m Columbus, I’m saying, ‘You’re playing for us this year. We’re not going to trade you,’” Buccigross said. “And I would do the same with Werenski. We're going to name him captain and we're using their services this year.”
For now, Marchenko and Werenski remain Blue Jackets. But the conversation around both players makes the stakes of this offseason clear: Columbus has to win and soon.
