Fantilli Took Marchenko Trade Personally; Keeping Him “Would Have Been a Nightmare”

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Adam Fantilli isn’t hiding his feelings about the Kirill Marchenko trade, and he says Columbus is better off for it. While the two were close, the Blue Jackets forward seems happy that what would have been a problem in the room is no longer there.

Speaking about the deal that granted Marchenko’s trade request, the Blue Jackets centre said the team dodged a difficult situation.

“Happy we got guys who want to be here,” Fantilli said. “It would have been a nightmare having a guy that didn’t want to be here all year. I’m glad we got that trade done when we did.”

Fantilli Took It Personally That Marchenko Wanted Out

Fantilli admitted the move was hard not to take personally, since he expected to play alongside Marchenko all season. He said the two spoke briefly after a team drug-testing session, when Marchenko told him he was leaving. Since then, the two haven’t spoken.

“I had a conversation with him right before he left, wished him well, but since he left I haven’t talked to him,” Fantilli said. He added that he hasn’t discussed the reasons in depth and that Marchenko “has his reasons,” whether they involved linemates, management or coaches. Because he was likely to play with Marchenko all year, Fantilli took the trade request as a snub. and, given speculation that Marchenko didn’t think the Blue Jackets were talented enough to win, it makes sense that Fantilli might be annoyed.

Fantilli was complimentary of his former linemate, calling him “super smart, skilled” and “a competitor” who wanted to win and make plays. The two will face each other on Tuesday night when the Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs play. He’s looking forward to the matchup. The undertones are that he feels like he’s got something to prove.

Fantilli said he wouldn’t claim Marchenko wasn’t on the same page as the team’s style, but as a player who didn’t want to stay on the team, the now Maple Leaf would have been an outsider if he’d have stayed in Columbus. “Not wanting to be here puts someone in a category where he’s kind of isolated,” he said. “We want guys who want to work together and figure this whole thing out together, and I think we got that.”

Was Zach Werenski Listening?

The comments land amid speculation that another Blue Jackets star might be thinking about leaving. On Frankly Hockey on Oct. 1, insider Frank Seravalli suggested more turbulence could be ahead, saying he wouldn’t be shocked if the club made a coaching change within 20 games. He also said the situation surrounding defenceman Zach Werenski “has never really left,” and that Werenski will face an extension decision next summer. Seravalli said he believes the answer will likely be no.

If Werenski isn’t keen to stay, does the rest of the team think the same way about him as they did about Marchenko?

Next: The Maple Leafs Found a Way to Win. Can They Keep It Going?