Adam Fantilli didn't dodge the Kirill Marchenko question this morning, and the Blue Jackets now have his answer on the record.
He opened soft. "As much as I love playing with him, super smart, skilled, fun guy," Fantilli said.
Then came the turn. "But we want guys that want to play for the Jackets and want to win here, and it sucks that it wasn't him."
Read that again. A player carrying a $13,750,000 cap hit, fifth-highest in the league, just told everyone a former teammate didn't want to be in Columbus.
And the man in question has already moved on. Marchenko suited up for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night in Toronto's opener, a 3-2 home loss to Montreal.
Jim Hiller didn't ease him in. The newcomer logged 20:08, more than William Nylander, who scored both Leafs goals.
Only Auston Matthews saw more ice among Toronto forwards. He added an assist, four shots on goal and went plus-1, which is a decent first night for Columbus's new public enemy.
The Maple Leafs just landed a top-six bargain from Columbus
Here's the part that should keep Don Waddell up at night. Marchenko counts just $3,850,000 against Toronto's cap.
That's less than a third of what Fantilli costs. Toronto gets a 26-year-old forward it trusts in big minutes at a middle-six price.
This is a loss for the Blue Jackets. No amount of locker room loyalty talk changes the math on that contract walking out the door.
It's like getting dumped and then watching your ex walk into the party holding hands with the most popular guy in the room.
The organization says it's happy the saga wrapped up before the season started. Sure. But happy and better off aren't the same thing.
Rick Bowness, hired in January, now opens his first full season behind the Columbus bench with a hole in the forward group.
The Jackets host Buffalo on Thursday, coming off a 4-2 win in Detroit in their last game.
So who eats the minutes Marchenko left behind? Bowness has to answer that before Thursday's puck drop, and his top six won't sort itself out.
Toronto doesn't have time to celebrate its new piece either. The Leafs host the Islanders tonight on the back end of a back-to-back, sitting 30th overall after one game.
Circle October 20. That's the night Toronto visits Columbus for the first time this season.
Fantilli already said his piece. Now the building gets to say theirs, and the guy wearing No. 86 gets to decide whether he answers on the scoreboard.
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Was Adam Fantilli right to call out Kirill Marchenko publicly?
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