Things were looking bleak for the Columbus Blue Jackets around Christmas. The first part of their season hadn’t gone their way. They needed a spark if they hoped to make it interesting to compete for a playoff spot.
GM Don Waddell went to work. On Dec 19, he acquired Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a pair of draft picks, a 2027 second rounder and a 2026 fourth rounder. Immediate dividends were paid.
Marchment scored three goals in his first two games. He scored just four goals in his 29 games with the Seattle Kraken.
Sometimes, even good players have trouble adjusting to new teams. That was the case with Marchment with the Kraken. A change of scenery benefited him.
Marchment has now been with the Blue Jackets for three months and has 26 games under his belt. He has 12 goals and 21 points in those 26 games while spending most of his time on the top line with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko.
Marchment Faces His Old Team
The Blue Jackets face Marchment’s old team the Kraken on Saturday afternoon at Nationwide Arena. While he didn’t spend a lot of time with them, Marchment has prevailing memories that will last. But to him, Saturday is just another game on the schedule.
“I don’t fear the game. No, it’s another game,” Marchment said. “(My) old team. Got some buddies over there and made some friendships. But I’m here now and we’re deep in here and we’re trying to go for a push. That is all that really matters.”
When asked if his Seattle tenure felt like it ever happened, Marchment revealed why his time there will always stick with him.
“My son was born there,” Marchment said. “It’s hard to forget that. Obviously some really good memories there. It’s just another game. It’s about the team in here and trying to get the two points.”
While Marchment didn’t want to get into specifics, he admitted he has a sense of why things didn’t work out with the Kraken. The one thing he was willing to say was that the fit with the Blue Jackets has been much better.
“I think there’s a bunch of different things that go into it,” Marchment said. “It just wasn’t working. I could maybe give you a couple of little things, but I don’t think there’s any really rhyme or reason. I think it just wasn’t a good fit. Obviously, come here and fit like a glove. I think that just happens sometimes.”
Quickly Fitting In
As Marchment said, the fit on the Blue Jackets has been good thus far. Finding chemistry with new linemates can be a fleeting thing.
To his credit, Marchment has been able to click with Fantilli and Marchenko allowing them to be able to attack teams with different skill sets. Part of the reason for that was his ability to click with other great players on the teams he’s played for such as the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars.
Marchment opened up about playing with Fantilli and Marchenko and how that compared to his other linemates.
“Been lucky to play with some pretty elite guys,” Marchment said. “These guys are right up there. (Fantilli) is one of the best, most powerful skaters I’ve played with. He really drives the play. He’s really good at finding little soft spots and driving and kicking and getting open. And then (Marchenko), he can do it all. He shoots. He can pass. He can slow it down. He can speed it up. He’s a big body, hangs on to pucks. I can’t say enough good things about those two.”
“The thing is, they’re so young. They got room to grow and want to get better. It’s fun to see.”
One of the lines Marchment played on that had similarities to what Fantilli and Marchenko are now were Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin in Dallas. How do they compare?
“They’re both heavy, strong skaters,” Marchment said of his former Stars’ linemates. “(They) like to get speed up the ice. Marchenko and Seguin are similar in they’re really elite shooters and can score from anywhere. I thought it was pretty easy for me to jump in.”
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Head coach Rick Bowness also believes the fit for Marchment has been really strong. Although Marchment has played on different lines at times, he does a lot of good things that help impact the game.
“When he’s moving his feet, he’s a big, strong guy,” Bowness said. “He’s got a long reach, if you watch how many plays he breaks up on the forecheck just by getting there, the reach. He knows where to put the puck on the net. He can score goals and he makes some really good plays. He’s been a good fit for us.”
Not only has it been easy for Marchment to jump into the Blue Jackets, it’s been easy for him to settle into Columbus overall. Most players have been through Columbus on a road trip and see only a certain part of it. Now living in Columbus and playing for the Blue Jackets, Marchment has quickly learned about the city and how the fans show up.
“They love their hockey,” Marchment said of the fans. “They’re a big sports town. I didn’t know how big of a fan group they had here. You come in on the road on a Wednesday and sometimes it’s not that packed. But to see with the success we’re having and the fans coming out, that definitely one thing (I’ve learned about Columbus.)”
