Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason: ‘We’ll never lose’
During Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason’s introductory press conference at Nationwide Arena, the Columbus bench boss spoke about the culture he wants to build.
The Blue Jackets’ non-arbitration record remains intact.
Just a day after re-signing forward Kent Johnson, forward Kirill Marchenko agreed to a three-year contract Sunday worth $11.55 million/$3.85 million per year against the NHL salary cap.
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“Kirill Marchenko has been a valuable player for the Blue Jackets during his first two seasons in the NHL and it was important to us to reach an agreement to keep him in Columbus,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “He has the size, skill and goal-scoring ability to continue to be a valuable part of our core group.”
The extension eliminates the need for an arbitration hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto.
Waddell told the Dispatch that the Blue Jackets felt they were “close” to re-signing Marchenko “multiple times” throughout the contract process, but weren’t able to agree on a deal until this weekend, with the extension value finalized three days before the arbitrator’s ruling.
Waddell knew he could sign the forward by the end of the week after Marchenko and his agent, Dan Millstein, filed for arbitration earlier this month, but he and Millstein were prepared for arbitration, which would end the Jackets’ 24-year streak of not having to go through arbitration.
Had it reached that stage, the Blue Jackets would have had the option to extend Marchenko’s contract by one or two years, a team’s right if a player files for arbitration. Waddell is leaning heavily toward the two-year option, which would have avoided having to renegotiate next summer. Marchenko is currently under contract for three years and has one year of RFA left when his contract expires. At that point, he’ll be 27 and the Blue Jackets could decide whether to seek a longer extension at a higher price.
Marchenko is off to a strong start to his NHL career since coming out of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, scoring 20 or more goals each of the past two seasons. Last season, he recorded 23 goals, 19 assists and 42 points in 78 games, while his plus-minus improved significantly. A second-round draft pick in 2019, Marchenko recorded two career hat tricks and scored an impressive power-play goal last season with Buffalo.
He stood in the left circle and shot the puck between his foot and the nearest defenseman’s legs, sending it over the goaltender’s shoulder and under the crossbar near the goal. Now he’s eager to hone those impressive skills for new Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason.
“This is a fair deal for both sides,” Milstein said. “Kirill is looking forward to returning to Columbus. We had been preparing (for arbitration), working on our arbitration filing and answer, but we always believed this matter would be resolved.”
A four-year extension would have made Marchenko an unrestricted free agent at the end of the contract, but the Blue Jackets didn’t want that. A five-year contract with one UFA year would have been too expensive for Waddell. In the end, a three-year deal was the best length for both sides, and the final hurdle was the salary.
Millstein and Waddell each cited a long history of “friendly” negotiations, including Waddell’s previous tenure as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes. The negotiations with Marchenko were no exception, with Blue Jackets assistant general manager Josh Flynn playing a key role by keeping the lines of communication open on an almost daily basis. Ultimately, both sides were happy with the contract extensions, leaving RFA center Cole Sillinger the only player Waddell was able to re-sign.
Schillinger’s contract could also span two to three years, as he is at a similar stage in his career as Johnson.
Both players were selected highly in the first round of the 2021 draft, Johnson at No. 5 and Sillinger at No. 12, but Johnson returned to Michigan for his sophomore NCAA season while Sillinger became the only member of his NHL prospect class to spend next season at the NHL level. Sillinger has recorded 32 goals, 42 assists and 74 points in 220 NHL games and has served as one of the Jackets’ top three centers.
Johnson has played in 130 games and is just returning from shoulder surgery. His new contract comes with a $1.8 million cap burden, so Sillinger’s salary is expected to be between that and Marchenko’s $3.85 million salary.
“It’s similar to Kent, but Schillinger has a little more history and name recognition,” Waddell said. “There’s no way we’re going to be able to agree to a true long-term deal because he doesn’t know what his future holds and we don’t know it yet. And he’s not going to sign a low dollar long-term deal, but it will get done.”
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