The Best Of Kirill Marchenko | Hockey Highlights | HD

Hey! Thanks for watching :) Please subscribe to my channel: Elite Prospects: Kirill Marchenko (born 21 July 2000) is a Russian professional ice hockey winger currently playing under contract to SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Marchenko was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 49th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Skating Marchenko is a strong skater. He has very good top-end speed but could get a little quicker with his first step and acceleration. Marchenko has very good agility and strong edgework. He makes quick cuts and can weave in and out of traffic with ease. He is dangerous one-on-one with a defender, especially when working off the rush. He does well with his lower-body strength and balance against junior aged opponents, but he will need to add weight and muscle to improve these areas before getting up to the pro game. Offensive Game Marchenko has good hands. He can make plays with the puck while moving at top speed. When defenders back off to protect against his speed and skill, he can take advantage of the passing lanes that are opened up, finding teammates with tape-to-tape passes. He is a creative player looking to get by defenders one-on-one and create plays that way as well. Marchenko is more a goal scorer than playmaker. His shot is accurate and features a good release, but is only average in terms of power. Most of his goals come in close to the net. Marchenko has good size but does not always use it effectively. He could stand to be more aggressive in battling for pucks in the corners. He also needs to be better at establishing his position in front of the net and creating havoc. With the puck, Marchenko is willing to attack the dirty areas of the ice, cutting to the net, and trying to make plays in tight. However, without the puck, he doesn’t always work hard enough, or aggresively enough to get it back. Defensive Game Marchenko’s defensive game is also a bit of a work in progress. He again seems to shy away from the physical aspects of the game. He is good at getting his stick into passing lanes and intercepting passes, or poke check an opponent and take off in the other direction. When this works, he transitions quickly to offence. However, if it does not work, Marchenko can get caught out of position. He will need to learn how to pick his spots as he moves up to the pro game. Projection and Comparison Marchenko has the type of high-end skill to play in the top-six in the NHL, with continued development. However, he is very much a boom-or-bust prospect. Concerns about his lack of defence and physicality will create some issues unless he can address those going forward. It will take some time and a patient development team. In terms of style, Marchenko’s game is reminiscent of Maxim Afinogenov but this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill or ability.