Option 1: punt the decision to next offseason.
This seems to be the path Waddell is choosing to follow, and so far, by all accounts around the team, it is working. If that continues, this option definitely makes the most sense.
Marchenko is signed through this season, at a team-friendly cap hit just under $4 million dollars. There is simply no other way to put it: you are not getting the kind of production and value that he brings in any trade return. Especially not for that kind of money.
If the goal is to make the playoffs this year, Waddell has no other choice. They have to hold onto Kirill Marchenko, hope he plays up to his full potential, and see how far they can go. Then, they can hope for one of a few outcomes.
The first, best outcome: winning cures all. If the team has success, maybe the player will fall in love with the situation, sign a new contract, and all of this becomes a distant memory.
The second outcome: you trade him to the highest bidder the moment you're eliminated. Whether that's regular season (at the trade deadline), or in the playoffs (say, around the draft). Marchenko still has one more RFA year remaining, and his value isn't going to go down between now and then. In fact, with a big enough year, it could even go way up.
The only risk to this option is an offer sheet next summer. A team could sign him to a one-year deal that walks him right into free agency, forcing the Blue Jackets to either let him go or match. If they match, they would be unable to trade him. That would sting, for sure.
But, for a guy who seems hell-bent on never signing another contract that keeps him in Columbus, I think that's a minor risk for the team. After all, does he really want to spend another year in Central Ohio beyond this one? It didn't seem like it on Friday. So, maybe Waddell opts to avoid the distraction and take another option...
Add us as a preferred source on Google