I'm a Flyers fan. If he was anything like Couturier I'd draft him in a heartbeat. That's elite defensive 50+ point potential.. But even Coots was a prolific junior scorer in pre draft and draft years. And I certainly wasn't comparing his stats to CHL numbers, just his own countrymen that have been through the MHL.
Thank you for this info though. I was wondering if Rubtsov, while good, may be a case of the top Russian forward in a weaker class getting overrated. Everyone's eyes light up at the thought of the next underrated Russian gem like Kucherov or Kuznetsov or Tarasenko...and German's stats seemed to pale in comparison. I'm a huge believer in all around IQ though, and he seems to have that in spades. Players like that can surprise. And you don't need to be a Kuzy level scorer to be a damned good NHL'er, especially with a mature 2-way game. But those smart guys find ways to score.
I was just wondering if there was untapped offense there beyond the stats. How does his potential, especially offensively, compare to similar draft year point producers in Buchnevich and Guryanov?
Yes, that's what I'm hoping for - elite defensive 50+ point potential. Maybe 45-50. And I really dig Coots, I think he's pretty underrated. Rubtsov isn't that big and physical though.
Well, if you compare him to offensive dynamos like Kucherov, Gusev, Grigorenko and Buchnevich then sure, his stats can look a bit pale. He doesn't have such a great shot and doesn't use it that much, and when you play 2-way game you inevitably sacrifice some of your offense (like Datsyuk easily could have a couple of 100-pts seasons if it had been his goal). Buchnevich btw even though looks good offensively (great vision, slick passes, nice shot) still doesn't convince defensively, he needs more time learning how to battle for puck and choose position. 1 year in AHL could be useful for him, Soshnikov is a great example.
Guryanov's high draft number was a bit inflated by WJC-U18 i think. He has great shot and solid size but this season proved that he wasn't that ready for a grown man's game. Lada wasn't very good at his development, yes, it didn't help, but you would expect from a kid with his talent and size that he easily cracks roster of a team like Lada (they're not exactly stacked with quality players).
And Rubtsov I think won't have such a problem next season. If it weren't for U18 NT project he'd definitely played 10 or more games in KHL for Vityaz this season already. And they are eager to have him on their roster (which is gonna look pretty good for such a low-profile team). This is Panarin's first KHL team btw. With his reliable defensively style I don't think he'll be having problems with ice time. The rest is entirely on him.
His success depends mostly on how successfully he'll translate his 2-way game to pro level. And let him stay in K for at least 2-3 years, there's no need to rush his development. We don't need another Burmistrov.
