Another twist in the Kirill Marchenko trade saga has fans talking

The Kirill Marchenko trade speculation has been a slow burn all summer in Columbus. The Blue Jackets have publicly insisted they intend to keep their top goal scorer, and recent reports suggest the phone lines have gone quiet. But eagle-eyed fans just spotted something that has the hockey world talking again.

Observers noticed that Marchenko has unfollowed both the Columbus Blue Jackets and the NHL on Instagram. On its own, an unfollow is hardly conclusive evidence of anything. In the context of months of swirling trade rumors, though, it immediately drew attention.

Some fans on social media pointed out that the unfollow reportedly happened back in April, suggesting it may not reflect any new developments. Others noted that Marchenko appeared to follow the New York Rangers around the same time, adding another layer of intrigue.

The social media activity comes despite the Blue Jackets' front office repeatedly pushing back on trade talk. General manager Don Waddell stated earlier this month that the team plans to keep Marchenko for at least the upcoming season and possibly longer. The dynamic right winger has led Columbus in goals in each of the past three seasons.

According to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, the Blue Jackets have not fielded calls on Marchenko since early in the summer. Portzline reported that things are quiet on that front, though he acknowledged the situation could always shift before training camp.

That quiet period followed a report from Russia that briefly reignited speculation. Daria Tuboltseva of rg.org reported that a source close to Marchenko described him as being "between two teams right now" while training in Russia for the 2026-27 season. The Montreal Canadiens were reportedly among the teams that had previously checked in.

Marchenko's agent, Dan Milstein, responded to the chatter with a joke on social media, saying he could not confirm or deny any rumors but noted "there were some pretty steep tariffs on exporting elite talent to or from Canada right now."

Marchenko is set to earn $3.85 million this coming season and will become a restricted free agent next summer. His 27 goals and 67 points last year made him one of the most productive forwards on a Columbus roster that went 40-30-12 but missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

The Blue Jackets maintain that Marchenko is going nowhere. Whether a quiet Instagram unfollow means anything remains entirely unclear, but in the middle of a long offseason with no resolution in sight, fans will read into every signal they can find.