Vasilevskiy
The cat will be back
Re: the bold part: You have to consider draft position (= scouting reports), the time line and some other factors though. I'll try:
Kucherov was a 2nd round pick in 2011 after one season in the KHL. He played 2011-12 in the KHL, then 2012-13 in the QMJHL and in 2013-14 he played in the AHL. After 17 games he 'earned' a call-up and ultimately became a regular on the Lightning lineup (on the bottom-6 mind you). It wasn't until 2014-15 when he eventually fought his way onto our top-6 and became part of the notorious Triplets / TKO line.
Gusev was a 7th round pick in 2012 after two seasons in the KHL. He didn't really break out as a star in the KHL until maybe 2015/2016. Four to five years later. A small kid with lots of skill and potential, but also with lots of open questions surrounding him. Efforts by the Lightning to bring him over to North America failed. In 2016-17 he broke the point-per-game plateau in the KHL and established himself as one of the best active players outside of the NHL. That's also when Yzerman & Co. again failed to lure him over to NA and eventually traded him to Vegas to keep their actual roster intact during the expansion draft.
Even with Vegas holding his rights he stayed in Russia until April 14, 2019 - so not even three months ago - when Vegas signed him to a 1-year ELC. In their seven playoff games he did not dress though.
Judging from draft position alone, Kucherov was easily the safer bet between the two. Kucherov also almost immediately came over to NA and fought his way thru the QMJHL to the AHL and eventually to the NHL and then up the lineup. Gusev never showed that kind of determination or even willingness until a mere three months ago. And even then he was a big enough question mark for Vegas to not play in a single game for them.
I would argue that the path that Gusev took is harder. Both of them were playing for CSKA and both were playing 4th line mutes (2-3 minutes per game). They traded Gusev to a team in the middle of Siberia and had to fight his way through their line-up to ultimately become their star player that later was traded to SKA were he progressed until becoming their best player, on the best team in the league.
People have not seen him play so they think he's just another Dawes of the world. I respect the opinion but Gusev on the proper environment will become a star, and it could be here.
I get people wanting a change and getting more physical, but a Ferland is not going to solve our problems, the problems are behind the bench and up in the mind of the players.
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