What's the point on posting then
Jokes a part, how many time is Kovalchuk world champion? Radulov? Medvedev? Ovechkin? Two times? Three times? I frankly don't get the point to get another gold medal for them and "stealing" place to youngsters who would need some good experience much more than them.
This is sound thinking IMHO, being a hockey fan of 60 yrs. experience, always a Hab fan & Team Canada, gaining experience for your younger talents will pay off in the future immensely.
Buchnevich, Slepyshev, Zadorov, Gusev. I'd like to see these guys at the World Championships.
Not so much the others. Nichushkin because he's hurt. Otherwise I would like to see him on the team.
Grigorenko and Tolchinsky aren't ready.
Buchnevich, Gusev, Slepyshev and Nichushkin, along with forwards Namestnikov, Kucherov, Yakupov, Defencemen Gavrikov, Marchenko, Nikitkin, Zadorov are others that I would suggest.
Ok, sorry, I lost my cool and you should accept my apologies. However, I wouldn't call Nichushkin, Zadorov or Yakupov "of not so great talent". We need this kind of players gathering experience, if needed we can even lose a couple of WCs, it isn't really important, it's a second-rate tournament
While the WHC's are treated by NA's as consolation tournaments for the talented players that miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the WHC's should be the training grounds for all available young Russian players. Having Datsyuk, Malkin or Ovechkin can surely benefit these young players, the problem they bring is the incredible amount of icetime these players command, mostly due to monetary gains the IIHF is always concerned with, Star players are huge draws for the paying customers. The future of the hockey team and their young players, should remain of paramount concern to all countries, despite the gains financially IMHO.
no need to apologize, i just don't share your opinion on inviting players simply because they are young. they have a 82 game season year in and year out to gather experience in the nhl. a couple of games in the wc won't make a lot of difference regarding our chances in olympics. and we are not some swedes or canadians, the wc is the main tourney of the year in russia, nobody in their sound mind will be sacrificing it for some dubious gains in the future
As Alessandro is suggesting, changing priorities in the selection of players, should at the very least bring in 2-3 of the best young talents, as is the practise for Team Canada for the very talented one player, like McDavid or in the past Tavares or Crosby while still 18 or 19 yr. olds. My thought is too much emphasis on winning every year, instead of breaking in a few choice players would better serve their programs, just my opinion though.
Tretiak's recent comment about 'any medal would be a success' is startling - what kind of attitude is that? It's gold or nothing, it's the WC. You can't go into tournaments with such a view of things.
Every country & team should have at least that goal in mind, Tretiak knows his way around the hockey world better than most people in hockey, especially in regards to International Tournaments.
On another more personal question for myself, can anyone give a description of how Artur Boltanov(C/LW) Magnitogorsk is playing/developing. He has impressed with his work ethic and talent the few times I have seen him. He wasn't drafted last year in the NHL draft, I thought he was really good enough despite the NHL's "Russian Factor fear of signing in the KHL" to be picked in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Thanks ahead of time for any information about Boltanov that anyone can share.