Kirill Marchenko has been one of the better offensive players for the Blue Jackets over the past 4 years. He had a breakout season in 2024-25, where he scored 74 points in 79 games. The Blue Jackets expected the same level of production with continued growth during the 2025-26 campaign.
Marchenko was a staple on the top line of the Blue Jackets playing with Adam Fantilli. While the third linemate bounced around (at the end of the season, it was consistently Mason Marchment), the combo of Fantilli and Marchenko was lethal.
Marchenko played in all offensive situations and scored a lot of big goals for the CBJ. He had yet another solid offensive season, scoring 67 points in 76 games.
The only blemish on Marchenko’s season was the final month of the season. He really struggled to score in the thick of the playoff race. In the final 13 games of the season, he only scored had 2 goals.
He couldn’t buy a goal over the stretch. At a time when the team was desperate for scoring and needing points to make the playoffs, the team really needed its top line to produce. Unfortunately, Marchenko picked a bad time to go cold.
Marchenko has 1 year remaining on his contract that pays him $3.85 million per season. After the 2026-27 season, he will be a restricted free agent. He is a core piece to the Blue Jackets and should be in the fold for a long time.
However, if the team continues to not make the playoffs, could be it possible that Marchenko doesn’t want to sign in Columbus long term? It is a possibility. But I suspect that GM Don Waddell will find a way to keep Marchenko in Columbus for a long time.
Final season stats: 76 games played, 27 goals, 40 assists, 67 points, 32 PIM, +7, 218 shots on goal, Overall grade: A-
Marchenko was a mainstay on the top line for the Blue Jackets and was one of the best players for the team all year long. He receives an A- because he had a slight dip in production from 2024-25. He also struggled to score when the team was in the thick of the playoff race. Had he improved his point total or not gone dry during the final stretch, he would have received an A.
