Waddell: Columbus Still Unsure Why Marchenko Wanted Out
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell says he never got a direct explanation from Kirill Marchenko or his camp before the winger's trade to Toronto.
Columbus general manager Don Waddell says the club still does not know why Kirill Marchenko refused to sign a new contract before he was traded to Toronto.
"To be honest, I never got a direct answer. There were probably some excuses, but no direct answer. That will be a great question for when he comes back to the city. You can ask him. You always try to get to the root of the problem, but honestly, in this case we never managed to do that. I talked to his agent all summer. I met with Marchenko when he came in, met with them several times, and we had a good dialogue. But we never got to the bottom of it. He just kept saying, 'I think I want to play somewhere else.' That was it. I was at Milstein's place in Florida a week before that. Didn't hear a word. And for some reason, on draft day, he announced it to the whole world, including me," said Waddell.
Waddell says he raised the matter directly with the forward's representatives throughout the off-season without getting a straight explanation for the change of heart.
If Waddell's account holds up, the split leaves Columbus with an unresolved question hanging over the trade rather than a clean break, and Marchenko's return to the city as a visiting player is likely to bring it up again.
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