I don't think Artyukhin is a bad player, and if he came in with a good cap hit and replaced Carcillo or Nödl on the team, I would be ok with that. He is as inconsistent as they come however, so to hope for more than a solid 4th liner is to be hoping for too much I'm afraid.
I hate to come in with a holier-than-thou attitude, but I have to say you guys that are saying he's not a better option are wrong. Coming from someone who watches the Flyers regularly, he'd instantly become one of the if not the best depth player on the team. Richards and Artyukhin on the checking/shutdown line sounds great.
Honestly though, I'd rather have him on the Ducks. So, maybe it's better if the Flyers aren't interested.
I was all about him last offseason, but there's a reason he played in Russia last year. I don't know what that reason was necessarily, but I'm assuming that is because he didn't receive any offers because he is Zherdev-esque. This is all conjecture, but I remember people saying that about him last year whenever his name came up. Anyone have any idea about this?
Same here. Big body, loads of speed, hits like a train, and has some skills. He's a perfect fourth liner that always gets pegged to high in the team because of his skills.
I was all about him last offseason, but there's a reason he played in Russia last year. I don't know what that reason was necessarily, but I'm assuming that is because he didn't receive any offers because he is Zherdev-esque. This is all conjecture, but I remember people saying that about him last year whenever his name came up. Anyone have any idea about this?
Honestly I haven't seen in play a game in years. He is the player that was suspended for taking off his helmet and hitting a player with it in a fight yes?
...Would love to see him land in Detroit, he can take aging Holmstrom's spot in front of the net, can play with the skilled guys, and can stand up for teammates (which they've needed for a while). With the good coaching of Babcock, I think Arty could be tamed to be a good fit in Motown.
I was going to say he "wowed" me when the Ducks visited, I can't fathom how noone wants this guy. And its not like he sucks either. How do you keep Ruutu and Marchant and dump this guy?
The problem with Artyukhin (at least in Tampa & Anaheim) was that he's as thick as pig****. He has awful hockey sense and takes retarded penalties at the most inappropriate times. Even when he tried to tone down his play refs were calling him for anything and everything. His shot and playmaking ability also left a lot to be desired.
Which normally I don't care about. Take the highest offer, that's fine. But when you leave the NHL to do that, it raises questions about your desire to play and win. If he took more money to play for another NHL team, more power to him. But a guy's heart and competitive nature comes into question if you're going to play for a lesser league, even if it is for a higher paycheck (which I doubt was really that much higher than he would have gotten in the NHL, although I am only basing that on conjecture).
Which normally I don't care about. Take the highest offer, that's fine. But when you leave the NHL to do that, it raises questions about your desire to play and win. If he took more money to play for another NHL team, more power to him. But a guy's heart and competitive nature comes into question if you're going to play for a lesser league, even if it is for a higher paycheck (which I doubt was really that much higher than he would have gotten in the NHL, although I am only basing that on conjecture).
