Chris Johnston confirmed the Kirill Marchenko link to the Canadiens, then put a wet towel over anybody expecting it soon.
He's been linked to Montreal, Johnston said, but there would be other teams that would love to get their hands on him.
It doesn't seem like one that's going to resolve itself quickly. That's an insider's read, not a fan's wish.
Which tracks. Columbus has no reason to rush a player still under contract for a full season.
One year left on the three-year deal he signed in June 2024. After that he becomes a restricted free agent.
He's on a $3.85 million cap hit in the meantime. Nobody hands that away in September.
He told the Columbus media on Friday that the business side isn't his department, and left it to Don Waddell and his agent Dan Milstein.
Kent Hughes has a crease to clear before anything else
Montreal is still carrying three goaltenders. Hughes has said the club won't open the season that way.
Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault split Monday's 3-2 overtime win over Ottawa, with Jacob Fowler still in that picture.
Subtracting a goaltender's salary comes before adding a winger's. That's the order these things happen in.
The player is worth the noise, though. He's put up 81 goals and 171 points across 233 games since 2023-24.
That's been the best goal production in Columbus for three straight seasons running.
Waddell also has Adam Fantilli unsigned and out of camp, with Johnston putting those talks in the 12 million dollar range.
The Blue Jackets still beat Detroit 1-0 in a shootout Monday without either player dressed.
Buffalo hosts Columbus tonight. Montreal sits 3-0 through the exhibition schedule with Ottawa up next on Saturday.
Rick Bowness keeps answering for a room missing two of its best pieces. Waddell has held that chair since May 2024.
So why won't this move? A club holding a player with a year left works like a landlord with a signed lease on the desk. No urgency until the calendar makes some.
Johnston's timeline is the honest part of all this. Montreal has been sold a lot of Septembers, and this one is heading the same way as the rest.
Should Kent Hughes trade real assets for Kirill Marchenko this season?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
NHL waiver wire heats up as two former first-round picks become available
