Russia
- Thread starter Pavlikovsky
- Start date
ZekeA
The Pride is Back...
Players from Russia are just NOT worth the headaches they cause!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trying to run a Hockey team in the NHL has enough problems already no need to add anymore!!!!!
Trying to run a Hockey team in the NHL has enough problems already no need to add anymore!!!!!
saskriders
Can't Hold Leads
DrakeAndJosh
Intangibles
I don't see any problem with taking Russians in the later rounds. Seems stupid to completely disregard the entire country.
Indrew
Registered User
- Feb 6, 2007
- 11,370
- 10
HavlatMach9
streamable 3rah1
We don't have scouts in Russia? Well since we're not drafting them in the 1st round, I guess there's not much need.
Personally, I have the opposite view.
It's the bubble players that are more likely to go back to the KHL, because frankly, they are going to get paid more (with the benefit of living in their home country). KHL salary >>>> AHL salaries. The stars on the other hand are much more likely to stay in the NHL because well, the NHL is still the best league in the world.
Guys you're picking in the later rounds are projects, which are players much more likely to be stuck in the AHL or going up and down between the AHL and the NHL, while surefire 1st round picks are much more likely to make it and stick in the NHL as top line talent.
Pavlikovsky
Registered User
The last Russian player we drafted was Ruslan Bashkirov back in 2007 since then 37 pick have been made none of them Russian
DrakeAndJosh
Intangibles
That's a good point actually. I guess I was thinking they would just play in the KHL or wherever and then in a few years jump over like a lot of swedes do with the SEL, but you make more sense.
Micklebot
Moderator
- Apr 27, 2010
- 53,858
- 31,075
Yeah, that's how Muckler got into trouble drafting russians that slid in the draft with later picks. Some had the skill to be potential NHL'rs but opted for playing in the KHL for a paycheck that far exceeded what they would be able to get in the AHL.
CanadianHockey
Smith - Alfie
As AP says, gotta go for the very high potential guys. The majority of late round Euros or checking line Euros are going to spend maybe a handful of seasons in the AHL before heading back home, realizing they'll make more money and play a larger role for a team in Europe than they would in the AHL or as a tweener.
yeah, i'd actually argue that the only russians worth going after are the really high-end first round guys. Those mid-round guys all end up developing slowly in russia and then refuse to come over just to play in the AHL, or they come play in the AHL and go home for more money. The ones who are good enough to actually earn millions here are the ones that tend to stay, and then they come with the whole KHL threat headache every time they need a new contract.
If a russian is BPA in the first or maybe 2nd round, take him, but be aware he's going to cost you more down the line. Beyond that, you're better off trying to sign them as free agents (like we are supposedly trying with viktor antipin right now).
also, saying we dont have a russian scout is a bit wrong. We have vaclav burda, our head euro scout, and mikko ruutu (brother of tuommo and jarkko) as another euro scout. Yes, he's a czech guy and mikko is a finn, and they spend time in nordic countries and central europe, but they keep an eye on russians in the KHL and MHL as well.
If a russian is BPA in the first or maybe 2nd round, take him, but be aware he's going to cost you more down the line. Beyond that, you're better off trying to sign them as free agents (like we are supposedly trying with viktor antipin right now).
also, saying we dont have a russian scout is a bit wrong. We have vaclav burda, our head euro scout, and mikko ruutu (brother of tuommo and jarkko) as another euro scout. Yes, he's a czech guy and mikko is a finn, and they spend time in nordic countries and central europe, but they keep an eye on russians in the KHL and MHL as well.
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Qward
Because! That's why!
Pavlikovsky
Registered User
I meant a scout exclusively to Russia they might keep an eye out but they cant do it to all the teams.
Sun God Nika
Palestine <3.
- Apr 22, 2013
- 19,924
- 8,283
Where did you hear this?
International scouts travel mostly, they could say spend most of the time in sweden and if there are players that happen to be russian then they would be visited, I highly doubt murray would ban russia from his scouts.
Vaclav Varada
CoJo
It really comes down to how they interview with the Russians. If they get a hint of a Radulov type they'll be hesitant, but then there are the Voynov's who will come over and put in the work. It's really all about scouting the kid, not just the player
this is where radulov actually shifted the paradigm. This was a kid who came over to the QMJHL and by all accounts was fully committed to NA, wanted to be an NHLer, the stanley cup was his dream, etc.
and then he defected.
once that happened, and with the rise of the KHL contract threat for RFA players, i think a lot of general managers started looking at russian kids differently.
Vaclav Varada
CoJo
Agreed.
Just because the kid is playing CHL doesn't mean they wont defect back to Russia. That's where the off ice scouting comes in huge.
aragorn
Do The Right Thing
- Aug 8, 2004
- 28,599
- 9,114
There would be likely NA players who are comparable to a Russian player in later rounds with less risk. Most GMs I would think would take the safer pick, a NA player. Russian players are just too much of a flight risk to spend a pick on IMO especially if their are comparable players still available. They would have to be a pretty special player, in hindsight, I wish BM would not have traded a 3rd for Filatov who quickly became a huge dissapointment, as it turned out. It was a waste of a 3rd rd pick & I was one of the very few that said so at the time.
Caeldan
Whippet Whisperer
- Jun 21, 2008
- 15,459
- 1,046
Yeah, basically if they are a "safe" pick because of the skill to keep them in the NHL... That first RFA contract, you're going to have to pay UFA money to keep them without flight risk.
lafite
Registered User
I saw an interview with Zadorov where he said he really wants to play in the NHL, but if he doesn't make the team that drafts him, he will go and play in Russia. His talent should make him a no brainer first round pick.
But how many junior aged players make the NHL the first time, defencemen in particular? Cowen went pack to junior, then went to the AHL, for example.
It would be an easy choice to go to Russia and make a lot more money, and once out of the easy grasp of an NHL team, would he want to come back to North America with no guarantee of not ending up on a bus in the AHL, and taking a pay cut?
Something else that struck me about that interview, it was through an interpreter. Almost all western europeans speak english as a second or third language. If this is rarer with the Russians, (I know some of them speak english well), it would be that much harder for them to adapt. I'm not sure how much of an issue this is though, but it might be a reason that the KHL is such an easy choice for some.
At least with a lower round pick there is less to lose.
But how many junior aged players make the NHL the first time, defencemen in particular? Cowen went pack to junior, then went to the AHL, for example.
It would be an easy choice to go to Russia and make a lot more money, and once out of the easy grasp of an NHL team, would he want to come back to North America with no guarantee of not ending up on a bus in the AHL, and taking a pay cut?
Something else that struck me about that interview, it was through an interpreter. Almost all western europeans speak english as a second or third language. If this is rarer with the Russians, (I know some of them speak english well), it would be that much harder for them to adapt. I'm not sure how much of an issue this is though, but it might be a reason that the KHL is such an easy choice for some.
At least with a lower round pick there is less to lose.
MainDotC
Depth Defenceman
Nothing like labeling a whole country based on a few wrong turns.
qft
