The Maple Leafs may have inadvertently given Kirill Marchenko the perfect opportunity to become a superstar.
Toronto acquired Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets just one day before the season opener, then immediately put him on a line with Auston Matthews.
It didn’t take long to see why.
Marchenko recorded an assist and fired four shots on goal in his Toronto debut against the Montreal Canadiens, despite arriving in Toronto only hours before puck drop and never having practiced with his new teammates. He even had several dangerous opportunities that nearly resulted in his first goal as a Maple Leaf.
That was the encouraging part.
The more interesting question is what happens when Kirill Marchenko actually gets comfortable.
Because if he develops chemistry with Matthews, there may be significantly more offensive production coming.
Kirill Marchenko Has Never Played With a Center Like Matthews
Marchenko’s numbers in Columbus were already impressive.
He scored 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season, establishing career highs in assists and points while leading the Blue Jackets in goals. He has also scored at least 20 goals in each of his four NHL seasons.
Now he has a completely different situation.
Instead of playing on a rebuilding Columbus team, Marchenko is skating beside one of the NHL’s premier centers.
Matthews isn’t merely capable of scoring 50 goals himself. He draws defensive attention that creates space for the players around him.
That was already visible Tuesday.
Kirill Marchenko had four shots despite essentially being dropped onto the top line without a practice. Matthews said afterward that the two had already connected on several promising plays and suggested their chemistry should improve with more time together.
And Matthews isn’t exactly lacking confidence in his new teammate.
He called Marchenko potentially the “best unknown player in the league” and said he believes the winger is going to do a lot of good things in Toronto.
That is a pretty strong endorsement.
A 100-Point Season Is Suddenly Not Crazy
Going from 67 points to 100 is obviously a massive jump.
But Kirill Marchenko has also never had this kind of opportunity.
The 26-year-old spent his first four NHL seasons in Columbus, where he was developing on a team that didn’t have the same collection of elite offensive talent surrounding him.
Now he has Matthews.
He also has William Nylander, John Tavares and No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna in the same forward group. NHL.com noted that Marchenko could share ice time with either Nylander or McKenna while playing alongside Matthews or Tavares.
That creates a very different offensive environment.
And Marchenko already showed what he can do before having any meaningful time to build chemistry.
A 100-point season would still require a significant leap. He would need to become more consistent, stay healthy and maintain a top-line role for most of the year.
But the pathway is there.
If Kirill Marchenko can turn those near-misses from opening night into goals, while continuing to find Matthews in dangerous areas, his point total could climb quickly.
The Maple Leafs didn’t give him a six-year, $75 million extension because they believe he’s finished developing. They made that commitment because they believe there is another level.
Playing beside Auston Matthews might be exactly what unlocks it.
And if it does, 100 points may not be as far away as it sounds.
Kirill Marchenko Could Reach 100 Points With Auston Matthews