News Article: THW Two-Round Mock: Buffalo gets Nichushkin, Pulock

[StevenToddIves]

I just published a two-round mock draft on thehockeywriters: http://thehockeywriters.com/ives-mock-able-two-round-2013-nhl-mock-draft/

I was wondering what the Buffalo faithful thought of the four picks I have them getting. Would love to hear!

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[Chainshot]

I just published a two-round mock draft on thehockeywriters: http://thehockeywriters.com/ives-mock-able-two-round-2013-nhl-mock-draft/

I was wondering what the Buffalo faithful thought of the four picks I have them getting. Would love to hear!

Of the four picks, I love Santini at 38.

 

[BuiltTagonTough]

I would be really ok with those 4. I'd rather Risto over Nicushkin though.

Also, who is Sasha Barkov?

 

[Chainshot]

I would be really ok with those 4. I'd rather Risto over Nicushkin though.

Also, who is Sasha Barkov?

Aleksander's nickname is Sasha.

 

[MagnumForce2]

I like the draft and in hindsight would probably opt for Lazar or Erne at 16. I cant believe Erne dropped all the way to 34. Also Bailey would be hard to turn down at 52, though Slepyshev is intriguing.

 

[Myllz]

Wouldn't take Nichushkin over Risto at 8, Pulock isn't bad based on what's there at 16. Santini at 38 would be amazing. Would take Bailey at 52.

 

[Paxon]

Aleksander's nickname is Sasha.

Yep. Sasha is the slavic diminutive form of Alexander, like Bobby for Robert, or Hot Lips for Chainshot.

 

[Zman5778]

Think I'd rather Bailey over Slepyshev at 52, but that's picking nits.

Given the way the top 7 of your draft went, it's either Risto or Nichu at 8 for me, and I won't argue with either even if I do slightly favor Risto.

At 16, there isn't really a player I've fallen in love with, but I'm starting to warm on Morin some.


And I love, love, love, love love Santini at 38.

 

[Chainshot]

Yep. Sasha is the slavic diminutive form of Alexander, like Bobby for Robert, or Hot Lips for Chainshot.

Wow. My wife must be lucky.

 

[haseoke39]

I would be really ok with those 4. I'd rather Risto over Nicushkin though.

Also, who is Sasha Barkov?

In Russia, Sasha is short for Alexander. If you ever meet any Russian Alexanders, they probably won't want to be called Alex, unless they're just easygoing.

 

[Kublakhan]

I hope we can pick up Justin Bailey

 

[Paxon]

Very, very, very much would rather have taken Ristolainen than Nichushkin in that scenario. Pulock's an alright pick but I'd slightly prefer some of the other options.

I really hope the board doesn't break this way, though.

Think I'd rather Bailey over Slepyshev at 52, but that's picking nits.

Me too.

 

[Mit Yarrum]

Nicushkin/Grigorenko/Slepyshev

In Russia, Sasha is short for Alexander. If you ever meet any Russian Alexanders, they probably won't want to be called Alex, unless they're just easygoing.

I know one Russian named Alexander, and he's easy going and is called Alex. Good call.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Think I'd rather Bailey over Slepyshev at 52, but that's picking nits.

Given the way the top 7 of your draft went, it's either Risto or Nichu at 8 for me, and I won't argue with either even if I do slightly favor Risto.

At 16, there isn't really a player I've fallen in love with, but I'm starting to warm on Morin some.


And I love, love, love, love love Santini at 38.

I give this about a 0% chance. No way Santini slips that far.

 

[CaptPantalones]

hate the last pick as I dont want them passing on Bailey at that point, but love the first 3

 

[Zman5778]

I give this about a 0% chance. No way Santini slips that far.

Sadly, I agree. It'll take a trade back into the low first to get him I think.

Either that.....or I think Darcy just might do the stunner of the day and swoop him up at 16.

 

[Bones Malone]

In Russia, Sasha is short for Alexander. If you ever meet any Russian Alexanders, they probably won't want to be called Alex, unless they're just easygoing.

So Sasha Mogilny would have been the proper name? Crazy, you learn something new everyday!

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Would Nichushkin have any chemistry with Grigorenko or are there playing styles incompatible?

 

[Zman5778]

Would Nichushkin have any chemistry with Grigorenko or are there playing styles incompatible?

If VN truly is a power forward, then I think they could mesh well.

However, from the limited stuff I've read/seen about him, it strikes me that VN has some Afinogenov in his game.....and that might work against chemistry.

Grigo is slick with the puck and has amazing vision, so he needs the puck on his stick. If VN is more Afinogenov than anything, he'll also need the puck. In that sense, their playing styles won't work well together.

To more affirmatively answer your question -- right away, probably not....but in the future, it would depend on how VN develops.

 

[Paxon]

Would Nichushkin have any chemistry with Grigorenko or are there playing styles incompatible?

If he pans out and plays a smart game, then sure, though I don't think there's anything specific about the two that would mesh. However, if he plays a one-on-many game and doesn't properly use his linemates or requires the puck be on his stick to be effective then probably not. It's more a question of whether he pans out or not, if so then they should work together alright and if not then he's not going to work well with anyone.

 

[StevenToddIves]

If VN truly is a power forward, then I think they could mesh well.

However, from the limited stuff I've read/seen about him, it strikes me that VN has some Afinogenov in his game.....and that might work against chemistry.

Grigo is slick with the puck and has amazing vision, so he needs the puck on his stick. If VN is more Afinogenov than anything, he'll also need the puck. In that sense, their playing styles won't work well together.

To more affirmatively answer your question -- right away, probably not....but in the future, it would depend on how VN develops.

I have watched a great deal of Nichushkin and can assure you he has as much in common with Afinogenov as he does with an arugula salad.

The best comparisons in the current NHL would be Nash with more mean+speed, or Taylor Hall with more size. This kid is going to be a flat-out star.

 

[Zman5778]

I have watched a great deal of Nichushkin and can assure you he has as much in common with Afinogenov as he does with an arugula salad.

I probably should have been a bit more clear with the Afingenov comparison.

Afingenov ALWAYS needed the puck on his stick to be effective, and I see some of that in VN. Which leads me to believe that he and Grigorenko might not be the best linemates.

I didn't intend to compare Max to VN directly as players, just one aspect.

 

[Wisent42]

Nichushkin at #8 and Pulock at #16 is a bit of a realistic wet dream of mine right now. If that comes true, I don't care much about the rest of the picks.

 

[Paxon]

I have watched a great deal of Nichushkin and can assure you he has as much in common with Afinogenov as he does with an arugula salad.

The best comparisons in the current NHL would be Nash with more mean+speed, or Taylor Hall with more size. This kid is going to be a flat-out star.

I have some pretty serious concerns about his vision and his shot outside of the doorstep. We tend to equate those issues in speedy, puckhandling players with Afinogenov here in Sabres fandom. Nichushkin is obviously on a different level with regards to size and power, puck protection, and some other things, but the concerns are there.

I agree that Rick Nash is without question the comparable, but Rick Nash has also always underwhelmed me in many respects relative to the praise he gets. That said, if you get a player who actually pans out on the level of Rick Nash at #8 overall, you don't complain. The question is if he pans out or not. Here's a comparable if he doesn't: Paajarvi.

 

[Sabretip]

I hope we can pick up Justin Bailey

I'm sure Bucky is hoping that too so he revive the hometown boy articles he wore the readers down with when Tim Kennedy was a Sabre.

Would Nichushkin have any chemistry with Grigorenko or are there playing styles incompatible?

I'd rather try to get Erne (Grigorenko's friend and winger in Quebec) at the 16th slot.