One of the NHL’s biggest offseason stories was star players asking for trades, and one of those players was Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kirill Marchenko, formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Jackets obviously acquiesced in a preseason blockbuster deal that sent Matthew Knies the other way, and on Tuesday night, Marchenko got a housewarming gift from his former teammate Adam Fantilli in the form of a bone-crushing hit.
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One that he had to have seen coming.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli welcomed his former teammate, Toronto’s Kirill Marchenko, back to town with a bone-crushing hit, but Marchenko got the last laugh. (Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) and Aaron Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Now, it should go without saying, but when a player asks for a trade, it doesn’t usually sit well with the players still on that team. That was the case for Fantilli, and he made that crystal clear when talking to the media ahead of Marchenko’s return to Columbus with the Leafs.
“He has his reasons, and I’m happy we got guys who want to be here,” Fantilli said. “It would’ve been a nightmare having a guy who didn’t want to be here all year. I’m happy we got that trade done when we did and got guys who want to be here.”
Now that’s the kind of honesty we like.
And guess what? That wasn’t the only message sent.
At the midway point of the first period and the game tied at 1-1, Marchenko (who happened to score the tying goal) got the puck in the Columbus zone. There, he was swarmed by Blue Jackets and tried to toe-drag his way out of it at the top of the circle.
However, Fantilli — who was probably licking his chops when he saw this opportunity open up — took advantage and obliterated Marchenko.
That was a popular moment with the fifth line.
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Even more popular when, instead of a tired old video tribute — hats off to the Jackets for reading the room on this one — the arena cameras went straight to Marchenko during the next stoppage.
Unfortunately, for Jackets fans, that was probably the high-water mark of the evening. The Leafs ended up winning this one big by a score of 6-2.
Kirill Marchenko scored in his return to Columbus, which the Maple Leafs won 6-2. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/NHLI via Getty Images)
That puts Marchenko and the Leafs at 5-4-2 on the year, good for fifth in the Atlantic Division.
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Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are last in the Metropolitan Division. However, they have games in hand over the two teams ahead of them, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.