To me this clearly indicates that guys with the first name "Sergei" will never play in the NHL, while guys with the first name "Alex" will -- but they'll have character and/or work ethic issues.
And, we have a 100% success rate on guys named Anton... any of those in this years draft.
I'd take the gamble on Nikita Kucherov with the final 2nd. The kid seems to have top 10 talent but will likely fall on draft day. With so many picks, the team can roll the dice. After him, there's not a whole lot coming out of Russia worth looking at.
I have seen him at the U18 few days ago. Highly skilled. I would definitely sacrifice a second rounder for him. Could be a steal.
look at that list of drafted russians you provided going back to 2005. identify for me please the players who have had a significant impact in the NHL. i think after you do that exercise the question answers itself.
look at that list of drafted russians you provided going back to 2005. identify for me please the players who have had a significant impact in the NHL. i think after you do that exercise the question answers itself.
I don't think this is the result of Russians not being good at hockey as much as it is the KHL at this point. Russians don't really have an incentive to play in North America unless they make the NHL roster from the start.
I think if they've already committed to North America and are a top-flight talent, go ahead. A guy like Yakupov, for example, should never be overlooked just because he's Russian.
I don't think this is the result of Russians not being good at hockey as much as it is the KHL at this point. Russians don't really have an incentive to play in North America unless they make the NHL roster from the start.
i dont care what its as a result of. the bottom line is that it is now extremely rare to draft a russian player and to have him turn into an impact NHLer.
The draft is overrated. Simple as that. Players drafted from the 3rd-7th are unlikely to ever make the NHL and stick. So why not take a gamble? I see players playing on their junior team's 4th line drafted because they are from North America. They will never make the NHL, even if they do it's as a dime a dozen bottom 6 forward. It's not hard to replace those, there are hundreds of options available at the start of FA every year to replace a 4th line spot, and it only costs a late round pick usually at the trade deadline to pick up a bottom 6 veteran for your cup run. I just don't see the point in wasting time drafting/developing a future fringe NHL grinder when we could be taking flyers on potential top 6 talent.
I'd rather aim high and miss, than aim low and hit.
The Russians won this years WJC. How are they old news?
Wjc is a far cry from nhl greatness. Softer game with different rules. Turtling instigators are rewarded for not fighting back. A little scrum results in a penalty for the retaliation player.
No Russians unless a generational talent like ovie comes up.
i dont care what its as a result of. the bottom line is that it is now extremely rare to draft a russian player and to have him turn into an impact NHLer.
Unless you've got a good reason to believe that Russians born after 1988 are just incapable of being good players it's pretty dumb to make it a policy never to draft them.
Sometimes they're actually good players, so if they're available later in the draft it's worth it to pick them instead of an enforcer for the chance that they can be convinced to play here. Detroit has built a dynasty from taking boom/bust Euros because most other GMs had your attitude.
No. We've seen too many players go back to Russia, and while I don't blame them for that, I'd just rather not burn a pick on them. There's something like 30 Russians in the NHL right now, which is down from a high watermark in the 50ish range.
Unless they're clear cut above everyone else and you have no choice (i.e.: Ovechkin), I'd rather take the N.A. player... even for guys playing here, the leverage they have to go back is too strong.
of course there are still good russian players still being born in russia. its just that under the present circumstances, its far too risky to pick them with anything other than late round flyer picks. there is no transfer agreement, there is a domestic league there paying big bucks with puny taxes, so it is far too likely that young russian players will just decide to play at home for MORE money than come here and try to work their way up through the minors to crack the NHL.
unless we have the next ovechkin who we're pretty sure is ready to step right in and have an impact, and who has said unequivocally that they are coming over, i don't want to draft a russian. we've been burned too often in the past and it has put us in the situation we are in now.
Wouldn't take a Russian in the first two rounds. Would take a Russian after that. As someone above said, the chance of 3rd round + making it to the NHL as anything other than a bottom 6 forward is extremely low. I'd rather take a chance on a talented Russian who got passed over because of circumstances.
We can get our bottom 6 forwards and bottom 2 D from free agency, from college signings, and from undrafted junior player signings.
