Player Discussion: Kirill Marchenko thread

[tunnelvision]

He really needs to improve his skating quite a bit more. He’s a bigger guy, so I’m not expecting young Calvert/Atkinson, but, his acceleration and overall speed/movement need to be improved.

I was going to point out about the same thing. Acceleration definitely looks like it could be improved. In fact, for a player of his size I see pretty good agility in his overall leg movements but the first steps are short and pivots awkward-looking so he doesn't get from point A to point B very fast in certain situations. Just as with Sillinger, I think it might be more of a technique than conditioning issue.

And yes, KJ needs to better in that regard too, but I think his acceleration/agility can improve tremendously with physical growth alone. There's already much more fluidity in his strides, imo.

 

[thebus88]

I was going to point out about the same thing. Acceleration definitely looks like it could be improved. In fact, for a player of his size I see pretty good agility in his overall leg movements but the first steps are short and pivots awkward-looking so he doesn't get from point A to point B very fast in certain situations. Just as with Sillinger, I think it might be more of a technique than conditioning issue.

And yes, KJ needs to better in that regard too, but I think his acceleration/agility can improve tremendously with physical growth alone. There's already much more fluidity in his strides, imo.

I’ll keep it simple with what I think their MAIN issues with skating are.

Marchenko: Technique
Johnson: Strength
Sillinger: Conditioning

Chinakhov became noticeably faster and stronger after his 1st year. His issue now I think is agility, although I don’t hate that north/south style with the shot he brings.

I also am not up and down like a toilet seat on Bemstrom. Still thinks he adds things on a level very close to most of these other guys, and if talking skating, he is pretty easily the quickest/fastest guy in the group.

Give me Foudy (over Robinson/Olivier) on the 4th line also. The team would be better off with Foudy than Kuraly. The problem is all the “veteran” forwards other than Jenner. 1 of Gaudreau/Laine is enough, and that choice should be easy.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I’ll keep it simple with what I think their MAIN issues with skating are.

Marchenko: Technique
Johnson: Strength
Sillinger: Conditioning

marchenko imo is a classic "tall lanky guy looks awkward but actually gets around just fine" type of skater.

KJ's main issue is explosiveness, but that'll come as he gets older. he's impressed me at times protecting the puck along the boards, so i think he's stronger than he looks, but it's the first few strides and top-end speed that are a bit lacking.

Give me Foudy (over Robinson/Olivier) on the 4th line also. The team would be better off with Foudy than Kuraly. The problem is all the “veteran” forwards other than Jenner. 1 of Gaudreau/Laine is enough, and that choice should be easy.

of the typical fourth line guys, i think robinson is easily the best actual hockey player, albeit one who lacks finishing touch. given his contract, i think he maybe gets moved at the deadline. foudy seems like a pretty straightforward replacement, even if he's not actually an upgrade.

 

[Youngguns80]

I’ll keep it simple with what I think their MAIN issues with skating are.

Marchenko: Technique
Johnson: Strength
Sillinger: Conditioning

Chinakhov became noticeably faster and stronger after his 1st year. His issue now I think is agility, although I don’t hate that north/south style with the shot he brings.

I also am not up and down like a toilet seat on Bemstrom. Still thinks he adds things on a level very close to most of these other guys, and if talking skating, he is pretty easily the quickest/fastest guy in the group.

Give me Foudy (over Robinson/Olivier) on the 4th line also. The team would be better off with Foudy than Kuraly. The problem is all the “veteran” forwards other than Jenner. 1 of Gaudreau/Laine is enough, and that choice should be easy.

I disagree on 1 point. That is Sillinger - his skating stride and outer-belt(city highways - big sweeping turns) turns with inefficient cross-overs are part of the reason of being gassed all the time. Adjusting this part of his skating will also help his agility and speed.

 

[I3LI3]

wowza

 

[I3LI3]

 

[cbjthrowaway]

jared "first year vgk william karlsson" mccann

 

[Doggy]

Give me Foudy (over Robinson/Olivier) on the 4th line also. The team would be better off with Foudy than Kuraly. The problem is all the “veteran” forwards other than Jenner. 1 of Gaudreau/Laine is enough, and that choice should be easy.

Asking for a friend: what exactly does Foudy bring to the fourth line moreso than Robinson, Olivier and Kuraly? My friend says

• all three of those guys you mentioned have actually contributed goals and offense and that at some point you have to wonder if Foudy will ever score a goal
• Robinson has proven to be an effective penalty killer and been a bit more physical this year
• Olivier while not being a drag defensively has been better offensively than advertised but more importantly brings a toughness Foudy and nobody else on this team provides...and something that was glaringly missing from the roster last season
• Kuraly in addition to being the second best face-off guy on the roster (though its possible you are one of those people that thinks face-offs are not very important) and a good penalty killer who seems to make his line mates better.

 

[CBJx614]

Foudy, much like Sillinger needs to be getting top line minutes in the AHL, arguably more so than Sillinger. He's been stuck as a extra body/tweener for the last 3 seasons instead of getting minutes and some confidence in himself. It's hard to gain any consistency going back and forth between getting scratched and 8 minutes of TOI

 

[cbjthrowaway]

Asking for a friend: what exactly does Foudy bring to the fourth line moreso than Robinson, Olivier and Kuraly? My friend says

• all three of those guys you mentioned have actually contributed goals and offense and that at some point you have to wonder if Foudy will ever score a goal
• Robinson has proven to be an effective penalty killer and been a bit more physical this year
• Olivier while not being a drag defensively has been better offensively than advertised but more importantly brings a toughness Foudy and nobody else on this team provides...and something that was glaringly missing from the roster last season
• Kuraly in addition to being the second best face-off guy on the roster (though its possible you are one of those people that thinks face-offs are not very important) and a good penalty killer who seems to make his line mates better.

imo robinson has actual trade value and the jackets have more bodies at forward to factor in next year (and still have a clear need to improve down the middle).

robinson has a very low aav and one more year left. he's got size, speed and good instincts/hockey IQ.

…honestly i'd trade him this season. doing so would open up a spot next year that could go to danforth, voronkov, texier, whoever… or, if those guys are already in the lineup (again, the math is getting tight) it could be foudy, meyer, olivier, a veteran FA or cap dump via trade.

he's a nice player to have but a fourth line wing spot is pretty easy to backfill if they were to move him.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

We need to move off the non-Marchenko discussion in this thread. I see how it happened and I’m not going to go back and move stuff, but if you want to continue the Foudy/Robo discussion, copy the post and reply in the Roster thread please and thank you.

 

[Doggy]

We need to move off the non-Marchenko discussion in this thread. I see how it happened and I’m not going to go back and move stuff, but if you want to continue the Foudy/Robo discussion, copy the post and reply in the Roster thread please and thank you.

Marchenko has four more goals than Oliver Bjorkstrand in almost half the number of games played.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Havent watched any interviews so I was surprised how good his english has gotten in 6 months. I dont think he spoke any english in the prospect tournament videos.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

Havent watched any interviews so I was surprised how good his english has gotten in 6 months. I dont think he spoke any english in the prospect tournament videos.

From what I remember (of the preseason) he was trying to interact with the interviewers and he did get in a few words of English in every now and then. Not sure if the translator was Gavy or who but I guess Marchenko doesn't need him anymore. Seems like Marchenko is hungry to learn all aspects of the game, not just the on-ice stuff.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

Havent watched any interviews so I was surprised how good his english has gotten in 6 months. I dont think he spoke any english in the prospect tournament videos.

What a BEAUT! He seems like a great kid.

Not sure I'd call him a natural throwing a football, but love what he does on the ice. Maybe he should try throwing it right handed.

 

[LJ7]

I am stunned that the /r/BlueJackets hype machine is right on Marchenko this early. He is so legitimately good. His minutes being screwed with and him being sent down in Russia had me feeling uncertain (but not particularly doubtful) but wow it's such a welcome surprise that he's already good in the NHL. Nice pair with Gaudreau too which is a huge plus.

 

[majormajor]

I am stunned that the /r/BlueJackets hype machine is right on Marchenko this early. He is so legitimately good. His minutes being screwed with and him being sent down in Russia had me feeling uncertain (but not particularly doubtful) but wow it's such a welcome surprise that he's already good in the NHL. Nice pair with Gaudreau too which is a huge plus.

I was confident in him scoring goals but he was a lightweight in Russia. I didn't expect a quasi- power forward. He might even get stronger still, which is really exciting.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

Speaking of Kirill's English, the improvement is even more pronounced in the post-game, he's a fast talker already, gets lost for words but finds roundabout ways, and is just missing some vocabulary that'll come with more time:



He's so fun. The sheer joy emanating from him makes me smile. I want him... on the back of my jersey.

 

[ViD]

I think if he gets sufficient ice time and keeps scoring, he will get a Calder nomination

 

[DarkandStormy]

I think if he gets sufficient ice time and keeps scoring, he will get a Calder nomination

Everyone pretty much decided in November Beniers was going to be the winner, though he's cooled off.

Marchenko is 2nd in goals scored among rookies, just 3 behind Beniers in 21 fewer games. Kent Johnson is t-4th in points among rookies.

My guess, at the moment, for a top 10 (in no order) would be Logan Thompson, Stuart Skinner, Matty Beniers, Owen Power, Jake Sanderson, Mason McTavish, Cole Perfetti, Kent Johnson, Wyatt Johnson, and Marchenko.

 

[CBJx614]

Everyone pretty much decided in November Beniers was going to be the winner, though he's cooled off.

Marchenko is 2nd in goals scored among rookies, just 3 behind Beniers in 21 fewer games. Kent Johnson is t-4th in points among rookies.

My guess, at the moment, for a top 10 (in no order) would be Logan Thompson, Stuart Skinner, Matty Beniers, Owen Power, Jake Sanderson, Mason McTavish, Cole Perfetti, Kent Johnson, Wyatt Johnson, and Marchenko.

Crazy to think we could have 1-2 players on the Calder watch for the next 2-3 seasons.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Crazy to think we could have 1-2 players on the Calder watch for the next 2-3 seasons.

Don't we say that every year?

 

[CBJx614]

Don't we say that every year?

I think we are more justified this time. If we are lucky enough to get one of the big 3 in the draft + Jiricek next year.

There's a few names that could be in the mix the year or two after that, obviously much less less likely than the others but still possible.

 

[CBJ goalie]

This guy is a gem.

 

[Doggy]

Not that we aren't still bullish on Marchenko, what a difference a month makes as his production has not surprisingly cooled off. Most recent THN article ranks KJ91 as the #10 rookie in the Calder race and Marchenko as the last honorable mention putting him around #20.

https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-calder-trophy-tracker-beniers-maintains-pole-position