“He was a string bean when we drafted him,” Kekalainen said. “He still needs to fill out, but he’s got that frame. He’s tall. He’s got the big mitts. He’s going to be a pretty big man once he fills out. He’s a pure finesse player, with size and reach.”
“He’s the type of player that literally every NHL team can use,” Gandler said. “He has size, speed, hands, great IQ. He can shoot, defend, block shots, play defense … he’s a great all-around player.
“He’ll develop nicely in Russia the next two years. There are two other NHL draft picks (Vasili Podkolzin of Vancouver and Ivan Morozov of Vegas) who were on his line this season, and they should be playing higher next season.”
Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov was a teammate of Marchenko’s on SKA St. Petersburg before he came to Columbus last spring.
Gavrikov said he’ll see Marchenko frequently this summer, provided the global coronavirus pandemic allows for much interaction this summer.
“Kirill made a good decision, I think, to take two more years,” Gavrikov said. “He’s smart. He’s so fast. He’s a really good player, lots of skill. But he needs more experience, and this is better for him (to stay in Russia). For sure it will help him.
“But I’m sure we’ll talk about Columbus. I know how to answer his questions now. For sure I will help him.”
