What has happened here is that Marchant had a no-trade contract at 2.2mil per over three seasons thus couldn't be a part of the initial Federov trade as Marchant refused to go to the Ducks at that time. With that kind of dough for a checking third line center, the Jackets put him on waivers as Marchant of course has a one way contract. No other team wanted him at that point because they would of had to pay his full salery. Jackets then put him on waivers a second time which means that if claimed then they would have to eat half his salery. Ducks pick him up now at 1.1 mil which monetarily makes more sense to them.

 Jackets tried to dump his salery for Federov and Duck's Burke too smart for that. Now he ends up getting him for half price!

 Still there's irony in that Ducks still end up getting him. Was there collusion with GMs in passing on him twice for the Ducks to ultimately claim him? Or is this a situation that even at 1.1mil per that all other GMs thought it was still too high? One will never know!

 Either way Marchant gets his full pay but with a team he didn't really want to be with. And-o, what blows me away is that a no-trade clause means squat with the new CBA. Although Jackets still have to pay him, they dumped him and half his salery!