There are a ton of possibilities as to who could get picked in the second half of the first round of the NHL Draft and that’s because of number of players saw their stocks rise considerably as the season went on.
Russian winger Kirill Marchenko is one of those players.
Ranked 37th among all European skaters by Central Scouting at the mid-term, Marchenko finished 20 spots better and is now getting first-round consideration.
Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino put Marchenko as the 31st pick in his mock draft, going to the Washington Capitals who have never shied away from taking Russian prospects.
Here’s what you need to know about Marchenko
Team: Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
Position: RW
Shoots: Right
Age: 17
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 187 pounds
STRONG U-18 TOURNAMENT HELPED HIS LATE RISE
Although the host Russians didn’t perform too well in April’s under-18 international tournament, finishing outside the top four, Marchenko had a promising showing. The massive winger dominated the competition he did see and led his team in scoring with three goals and six points in five games.
The problem is that Marchenko was a big disappointment through the rest of the season. In the year before his draft season, Marchenko had 26 points in 29 MHL games, which led to high expectations this year. But rather than improve, his numbers fell off to just 16 points in 31 games. The saving grace for him was a strong, though brief, playoff performance with seven points in eight games.
A TOP 10 RIGHT WINGER IN THE DRAFT
NHL.com’s Mike Morreale ranked Marchenko as the 10th-best right winger available in the NHL draft.
M”archenko is a playmaker with patience and quickness for a big man,” wrote Morreale. “He works well on the forecheck, can create turnovers and will attack the net to score goals.”
Marchenko has great size already and a frame that leaves plenty of room to add weight and strength. Still just 17, he’s one of the younger players available in this year’s draft. Another plus in terms of his NHL future is that he’s regarded as a great skater with tremendous vision, so he could translate into either a goal scorer, passer, or a hybrid of the two at the next level.
Still, it’s likely he’ll return to Russia for at least another season. Marchenko earned a brief call-up to the KHL this season where he saw two games, but didn’t record a point. He may be a risky pick in the first round, but comes with the potential of a very high payoff.
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