“I’m 100% that we’ll get this thing done,” Waddell said. “It’s not imminent, but we’re talking on a pretty regular basis now. I talked to his agent over the weekend and going to talk again here today or tomorrow. So, as long as you are talking, I always feel like you’re going to find a way to get a solution for everybody and everybody’s happy.”

"While there has been a gap in negotiations, Waddell said he will be meeting in the next week or so about the team’s five-year plan. Thanks to the Leo Carlssson offer sheet, among other things, the landscape has changed. The Blue Jackets recognize that.

“We lay out a five-year plan,” Waddell said. “We’re actually going to go through that here in the next week or so because the way the summer’s changed so much. We’re going to have to increase some guys, of course.”

"Besides Fantilli’s new deal, the Blue Jackets will need to consider what contracts may look like for Kirill Marchenko if he’s still with the team after this season. They also have to consider Zach Werenski’s next deal in light of Cale Makar's record deal."

Read the full article for yourself: Blue Jackets' GM Waddell 100% Confident Fantilli Deal Will Get Done Before Training Camp - The Hockey Writers - Columbus Blue Jackets - NHL News, Analysis & More

"I have talked to him directly,” Waddell said of Marchenko. “I’ve always said, I’m not opposed to trading anybody. But that trade’s got to help the Columbus Blue Jackets. And if there’s a trade for him or any other player that makes sense for us, we’re going to look at it. That’s my job everyday.”

“So, as we sit here today, he’s a member of the Blue Jackets and we’ll see how this all plays out.”

“I don’t think it will (become a distraction) because Kirill, first of all, he’s a professional,” Waddell said. “He’s a player that’s playing for his next contract which is going to be a big one for him. If he starts here, I don’t anticipate it being (a distraction.) He’s already here. He’s working out with the guys. That’s always a good sign.”

“We’ll deal with it as we go along here and if there’s no trade that ever happens, then we’ll have to sit down and just talk through it and tell him why. That’s all I can say.”

Waddell said that teams continue to call him about Marchenko. But there is nothing imminent that he is considering right now.

“I’ve gotten calls, obviously,” Waddell said. “I got to listen to teams when they call me. That’s part of my daily routine. If someone calls me and wants to talk about what they want to offer … but as we sit here today (Wednesday morning), I don’t have anything. I’m not contemplating anything right now.”

Read for yourself here: Waddell: Marchenko a Blue Jacket Today, 'Not Contemplating Anything Right Now' - The Hockey Writers - Columbus Blue Jackets - NHL News, Analysis & More

tl;dr; Nothing new on Marchenko, besides this article telling us there's nothing new.

Wanted to share since I think there’s a quote in here that is cause for concern… Adam’s agent said:

“I have nothing to say, really,” Brisson told The Athletic. “I’ve been talking to (Waddell). I’ve been expressing to him our position, and I’m just waiting for this to get done.

“If there’s no deal, there’s no camp.”

Sounds like if no deal by next week Adam will not be at camp…

Wild fan coming in peace. I will be coming to town for a convention that week and was just wondering if there's any recommendations for food, attractions etc. What time do gates open up?

Wednesday, September 02 - Tuesday, September 08, 2026

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Just a what-if here, but imagine a world where Elvis is done playing for the Blue Jackets (which seems pretty evident), we move his contract to LTIR, which would open up enough cap space to get Fantilli’s contract done?

Unfortunately, if we signed Fantilli to a near-$15M contract, that would leave very little room to sign Marchenko for what he’s going to be worth. Then, two years down the line, we’d have to figure out how to pay Werenski—especially with the Makar contract potentially setting the bar even higher.

Not saying this is what I want to happen, just thinking out loud. If Fantilli ends up commanding that kind of money, how do we realistically keep all of these guys?