“Now he’s finally coming” – Forward Kirill Marchenko could join Blue Jackets after playing in KHL

“Now he’s finally coming” – Forward Kirill Marchenko could join Blue Jackets after playing in KHL

Kirill Marchenko

Columbus chose forward Kirill Marchenko in the 2018 NHL Draft as the 49th overall in the second round. Kirill has been vying for a spot ever since in the team. If he has followed the path of goalie Elvis Merzlikins and defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov, then the Blue Jackets long wait will be worth a while.

The 22-year-old was part of the Kontinental Hockey League from 2017-18. Last season he recorded 20 points with 12 goals and 8 assists in 39 games with SKA St. Petersburg. He also had his personal best during 2020-21, where he scored 28 points with 15 goals and 13 assists in 41 games.

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Columbus Blue Jackets can’t wait to have Kirill Marchenko back

Kirill Marchenko
Kirill Marchenko

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said, “We sometimes have to wait a little longer for those guys who have those long-term contracts in the KHL, and now he’s finally coming”. “He’s a big right winger, can play both sides, right-handed shot. He has a lot of skill, and I think he plays with the pace, too, that is required in the National Hockey League.”

Coach Brad Larsen said, “He looks like a guy that’s skated with men for a few years”. “He looked comfortable to put it that way.” Likewise, Marchenko himself stated his feeling about joining NHL, and the point to be noted, he wasn’t shy about it, “I think yes, but I still need more work”. “Two months, maybe three months of hard work, and I think yes.”

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Marchenko’s more than just a player collecting points. His outgoing personality, backchecking the No. 6 2022 NHL pick David Jiricek, and even prying the puck from a prospective defenceman proves both his play-power and his personality, which may be popular with the Blue Jackets fans. Though he has more or less grasped the language, he jokingly stated, “After English, maybe French”.

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