Marchment, Schwartz among those going to market — The Fourth Period
TORONTO, ON — The free agent pool is not the deepest this July and as a result the trade market may flourish over the coming weeks as NHL clubs aim to improve their rosters ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
With changes aplenty on the horizon, the Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to see a decent amount of turnover themselves.
Forwards Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment and Danton Heinen, and defencemen Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith are set to become unrestricted free agents in 10 days, while goalie Jet Greaves, defenceman Yegor Zamula, and forwards Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger and Mikael Pyyhtia are eligible to become restricted free agents.
Fantilli and Greaves sit atop GM Don Waddell’s priority list, and both are controllable, but the Blue Jackets are also scouring the market for another top-six forward – which explains speculation tying them to the likes of Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk and Seattle Kraken sniper Jared McCann, among others.
Another reason the Blue Jackets are exploring their trade options is because some of their pending UFAs are heading to market.
While there are conflicting reports surrounding Jenner’s future, TFP has learned that, barring a significant change in talks, Marchment is heading to market.
Marchment, who just turned 31 on Thursday, will see his four-year, $18 million contract expire at the end of this month. He tallied 19 goals and 45 points in 68 games split between Seattle and Columbus this season and finished the season eighth in the NHL in points-per-game among pending UFA forwards.
Teams looking to bolster their mid-six will come calling and Marchment will have no shortage of interest from clubs eyeing more secondary scoring.
Marchment isn’t the only player prepared to leave Columbus. Sources say Gudbranson won’t be back, either, and he plans on exploring new options after dealing with multiple injuries the past two seasons.
