The first round of the NHL draft is supposed to be fun and festive for teams, top prospects and fans.
The Blue Jackets and their fans, however, felt the opposite way on the first night of the 2026 NHL Draft. Prior to selecting Boston College power forward Oscar Hemming with the draft’s 14th pick, the Jackets got hammered by deflating news that star forward Kirill Marchenko is ready to follow star defenseman Zach Werenski out the door.
Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell began fielding calls on each player’s availability before the start of the first round, thanks largely to reports that Werenski and Marchenko, their leading scorers and two best players, aren’t interested in signing contract extensions when eligible.
It was jarring to say the least.
“It’s my 22nd year as a [general manager] and I’ve had lots of players ask for [trades], but usually they keep it private and it doesn’t become public,” Waddell said. “I’m not sure it’s in everybody’s best interest to make all this stuff public, but that’s why you guys [reporters] have your jobs, to ask all these questions, and I try to give you the best answers I can.”
Here’s the latest on Werenski and Marchenko going into the draft’s second day (rounds 2-7):
Columbus Blue Jackets receiving offers for Zach Werenski
Not long before the draft began at its KeyBank Center headquarters in Buffalo, New York, an update by Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic indicated that Waddell was getting trade offers for Werenski.
LeBrun posted on Twitter/X that offers were officially being made to the Blue Jackets, who’d determined the reigning Norris Trophy winner wasn’t interested in staying beyond the final two years of his contract.
Talking to reporters at Nationwide Arena after the first round, Waddell said he still plans to meet with Werenski following the draft. He didn’t deny the accuracy of LeBrun’s reporting, which was a continuation of an initial report written June 10 for The Athletic saying that Werenski and his agent, Judd Moldaver, might issue a trade request this offseason.
“We’re going to sit down here after the draft and speak with him and his representation, and just see where it’s going to go,” Waddell said. “Once that report came out in the media, I was getting calls about it, and it’s my job as a GM [to listen]. I’ll listen to anything on anybody. It doesn’t mean I have to act on it. I didn’t counter any offers or anything like that, so …”
So, the wait continues, but most Blue Jackets fans already know where this is headed. This subplot has unfolded this way with numerous star players over the franchise’s 25-year existence, so the idea of trading Werenski now feels inevitable.
Kirill Marchenko stuns Columbus Blue Jackets
Dealing with the Werenski situation was bad enough, but things got considerably worse for Waddell midway through the first round.
Reports had put Marchenko’s name in the spotlight leading up to the draft, prompting even more calls for Waddell from opposing teams, but what he didn’t know was that Marchenko and his agent, Dan Milstein, sparked the interest.
That’s according to ESPN analyst and former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes, who revealed during an on-air update, moments before the Blue Jackets selected Hemming, that Marchenko “As of now … likely wouldn’t sign,” with Columbus long-term. Talk about a buzzkill.
Weekes cited “Marchenko’s camp,” in his report, making sure to re-emphasize “as of now,” as a qualifying statement, but the message was sent loud and clear. Marchenko doesn’t see himself staying in Columbus beyond July 1, 2028, when he can become an unrestricted free agent.
That’s the same day Werenski can become unrestricted, but Waddell doesn’t think their mutual interest in playing elsewhere is related. Regardless, two star players looking for exit ramps isn’t exactly a good look for a franchise that continues to struggle keeping its best talent.
Waddell said Weekes’ report added clarity to a recent message he’d gotten from Milstein.
“What [Milstein] said was that he was going to call me after the weekend and talk about [Marchenko’s] future, and then I read that stuff [from Weekes] … or I don’t read it, somebody had to tell me it,” Waddell said. “So, [Milstein] did not tell me today whatever was reported by Weekes. He said he wanted to talk to me about Marchenko after the weekend, and I said, ‘Talk all you want.’ And then, obviously, this all came out.”
Milstein has not replied to a message from the Dispatch. Neither has Moldaver, Werenski’s agent.
Meanwhile, Marchenko’s desire to play elsewhere caught Waddell by surprise after he’d acquired Russian forward Valeri Nichushkin in a June 25 trade with the Colorado Avalanche. Nichushkin is friends with Marchenko and Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov, who’s signed long term.
“Val’s buddies with [Marchenko] and Provorov,” Waddell said. “So, I thought maybe it was a different kind of phone call [from Milstein] … but obviously we all found out later that it wasn’t.”
Where do the Columbus Blue Jackets go from here?
Werenski has a full no-move clause for the next year, which switches July 1, 2027 into a limited no-trade clause that allows him to nix trades with 10 teams. That gives him full control over trades for the next year, but Waddell won’t be pushed into anything.
Ultimately, he’ll decide whether to deal Werenski and/or Marchenko, who doesn’t have any veto power over trades. The Blue Jackets’ GM can either find new NHL homes for each star this summer or keep both, forcing them to play out their contracts while dealing with the awkwardness of playing with teammates, and in front of fans, who know they’d rather be elsewhere.
“They signed the contract,” Waddell said. “So, if we feel like that’s in the best interests of the Columbus Blue Jackets [to keep them], well, play out your contract.”
Dispatch Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko want exit from Columbus Blue Jackets: Now what?
Reporting by Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
