“It would make sense for Marchenko to want to play for the CH”

Michaël Petit
“It would make sense for Marchenko to want to play for the CH”
Credit: Capture d'écran | YouTube

The big news this weekend is Kirill Marchenko. The Russian has been linked to the Montreal Canadiens in the past, but yesterday it was reported that the Habs are at the top of the list to acquire him.

Now, none of this necessarily means that Marchenko will be a member of the Habs next season, but the rumors are certainly heating up.

Many are wondering what a return might look like for Marchenko, who doesn't seem to want to stay with the Blue Jackets long-term. My colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois has actually written an article on this topic.

However, before moving forward with all of this, we also need to ask whether Marchenko is a good fit for the Habs in the first place. We also need to consider whether he'd be willing to sign a long-term deal, given that he'll be playing out the final year of his $3.85 million contract.

Obviously, Marchenko would be a perfect fit on the second line alongside Demidov, and it's easy to imagine a “Russian connection” developing between the two.

And from Marchenko's perspective, a team like the Habs—where there's a long-term opening for him in the top six—could be very appealing, and Grant McCagg agrees. He mentioned this in his latest episode of HabsCast.

A young, talented team like the Habs, which just made it to the conference finals despite gaps in the roster—and while competing in a fierce division—is certainly appealing to a player like Marchenko.

What's more, not only does the Habs organization have a strong pool of Russian prospects, but Marchenko's agent (Dan Milstein) is the same as Demidov's, Alexander Zharovsky's, and Bogdan Konyushkov's. Connections are easy to make, and we've also seen Demidov take Zharovsky under his wing to show him around the city. It's safe to say that Demidov wouldn't be afraid to take Marchenko on a tour of the Quebec City area.

If the Habs were to pursue Marchenko, we can expect the club to want to sign him to a long-term contract (or at least for four or five years), which would provide stability regarding Marchenko's future.

Kent Hughes talks a lot with Milstein, and it's safe to assume he's discussing Marchenko with him.

Marchenko would be a perfect fit for the club, in my opinion, and it's easy to believe he'd have a future in Montreal.


In a Nutshell

– Worth a read.

– Unbelievable.

– Interesting.

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