Originally the team’s second round pick (#49 overall) at the 2018 NHL Draft, Marchenko was viewed as a bit of a project at the time the selection was made. There were two major concerns here; one, he’s Russian, and playing in Russia, which means that teams were afraid he might not come over; and two, his foot speed raised concerns.
But the Jackets saw potential with a big bodied, talented player, and it sure looks like their scouts found a gem here. Marchenko was trending up in a big way through the 2020-21 season, where he scored 15 goals and 28 points in 41 KHL games.