Prospect Info: 50th Overall - Nikita Chibrikov

[ps241]

My point is that he might position PLD more into a top-9 defensive stalwart, replacing the role that Lowry has played.

One thing is for sure, we need PLD to look more comfortable in our system this season and show us he can be a solid 1-2 type centre which he has displayed in the past.

 

[TS Quint]

One thing is for sure, we need PLD to look more comfortable in our system this season and show us he can be a solid 1-2 type centre which he has displayed in the past.

It's a contract year. I have faith that he will do good for his wallet.

 

[TS Quint]

I never believed in the KHL as anything more than a minor annoyance when it comes to taking players from the NHL. Even Ovi couldn't understand what Kuznetsov was doing in the KHL for so long because the NHL money was far better.

The poor player development is what keeps Russians in the KHL.

 

[truck]

Well, the main issue with Telegin was that he ended up not being particularly good. That, combined with an unwillingness to work his way up through the system didn't work out for either party.

But I agree that it will be interesting to see. Very different situation from any other Russian player we've drafted. I don't think the franchise has drafted a Russian out of Russia this high since Ilya Nikulin (which REALLY didn't work out, so I'm hoping this will be better).

I think the main issue with Telegin was that he received a massive concussion that nearly ended his career. He couldn't skate for months and took a whole year off after the injury. He's managed to keep playing, closer to home, but that injury was a massive blow.

 

[Zine]

@Zine @Switlo and @GJF Pretty interesting back and forth. I love the quality and content of your debate. Learning new things is something I will never grow tired of.

My view of drafting Russian players needed updating and needed to be challenged. You guys have done this and for that I thank you.

After the massive sample size of one, Burmi, I felt additional risk Russians carried due to the KHL option needed to be factored in. I think I softened on that at some point because it never really came to mind until reading your posts. To me Chibrikov is too good to pass on.

Also I am less concerned where a good prospect develops than most. I am not an AHL hawk in the slightest although that puts me in a very small minority on this board. I think one season in the AHL is not too much to ask for if needed but I can see why the pay cut would be a barrier.

Great topic and thanks for the education this morning.

Yea drafting higher-end Russians should be of no concern, nor is the possibility of established NHLers returning to KHL. The only risks I can think of are:
1. Guys won't spend too long chasing the NHL dream in the AHL with the pull of the KHL at home.
2. NHL clubs are weary of a lack of development control. That said, the track record of our guys developing at home is way better than those who go to NA (especially forwards), so it shouldn't be an issue. But that topic is for a different thread.
And Chibrikov just said he wants to mimic Kaprizov's style of development in KHL the next 2 years, so that's good. That he fell to 2nd round is ludicrous. You guys got a steal.

That said, I think the 'Russian factor' is valid for the mid-tier guys drafted out of Russia. Is it worth giving up a good thing in the KHL to maybe make the NHL when the strong possibility exists of toiling somewhere in the AHL? Tough choice because nothing is handed to you as a mid-level guy in NA. And honestly, making the NHL is a crapshoot for mid-level guys. Very little separates average NHLers from eachother, or from top AHL guys, or good guys in Europe. A lot of these players are interchangeable. Making the NHL is often predicated on opportunity, luck, a particular skill set, coach preference, chemistry with linemates, an open role on a roster, etc. I mean look at Las Vegas a few years back; a bunch of cast-offs (many of whom were likely bound for Europe) were given a change of scenery and they made the Cup finals.
Giving up security for insecurity isn't always an easy choice.

 

[Mud Turtle]

This kid’s going to be a beast on zone entries. There’s some definite similarities to Ehlers here.

 

[GNP]

This kid’s going to be a beast on zone entries. There’s some definite similarities to Ehlers here.

WOW - This Chibrikov is great, and he does remind you of Ehlers. He's got great stick handling ability, and a great skater that can control the puck, and make offensive zone entries. I just hope he has a decent shot, and can score.

I have a feeling we'll see him up with the Jets sooner than later. Thanks for the great clip on him Turtle.

 

[MrBoJangelz71]

This kid’s going to be a beast on zone entries. There’s some definite similarities to Ehlers here.

Also a little Burmistrov east west in his game ,which I could see frustrating his line mates.
Smooth skater, seems like he picks up a step in speed with the puck on his blade which is a great quality. Just needs to get a little more direct in his play, we could have a really good player here.

 

[Atas2000]

Definitely it's a control thing, but that's why teams don't like it. I'm not saying it's a positive but teams love control so they tend to weigh that against talent.

I can think of one pretty high profile failure of a Russian prospect who came to play junior in NA but I think its a bit too new a trend to judge it just yet. I think a few of them came over to improve their chances of making the NHL and the reality was they probably just weren't good enough.

The reality is the developed in NA and it went all wrong. Discarding development is a mistake made too often. If players stayed the same since say 16 what woul be the point of keeping them in the minors. If they wern't that good anyway, they never will be anyway, right?

The whole point of it is a weird misconception by many young Russians that exposure and a high draft pick will improve their chances. Jumping to the CHL is a too high a price to pay for nothing basically as that higher draft pick means nothing for their future, at least in a positive way. Higher picks tend to face higher expectations.

 

[kanadalainen]

I thought he was Russia's best player at the u18s yes better then Michkov overall. Don't get me wrong Michkov is great and going to be great but he really needed help and I thought Chibrikov really drove the play all over the ice. He really is a bit like Ehlers but with a more bullish mentality

This kid’s going to be a beast on zone entries. There’s some definite similarities to Ehlers here.

Another Ehlers-type player? Hell yes.

 

[Atas2000]

All the NHL was wrong about Kaprizov how? That he had a contract with the KHL? They though he would be difficult to get out of Russia?

The Mandela effect once again. When was it ever difficult to get a russian prospect out of Russia?

ALL Russians who are any good and play in Russia have at draft day a contract in the KHL. Many of them still get drafted high. Really high. Much higher than Kaprizov.

Kaprizov was skipped over for 4 rounds by ALL NHL teams while being a 1st round talent and it was known in Russia. Only not to NHL scouts it seems. He has not dropped to the 2nd or even the 3rd because of all that imaginary bullcrap you are talking about. He was picked in the 5th.

Picking a 1st round talent in the 5th is being completely wrong with the evaluation of his talent.

That he might be difficult to deal with because of that?

Yeah, yeah, alll Russians are enigmatic and evil. Who knows how to deal with their dark souls.

I don't recall talent being the issue.

If talent is not the issue a player does not fall to the 5th. Ask Mailloux.

Finnally he comes over 6 years later to play a few games

He's done everything right with his development. Ever thought of the fact that the reason he came not after 4 or 5 years(he could have done that in terms of being ready to play in the NHL) was BECAUSE he was picked in the 5th? What reasons did he have to believe the team trusts in him and wants him to succeed and won't treat him like a throwaway like so many Russians before him? So he decided to make some money in Russia first. Good for him.

and he is already threatening to go back home. Sounds like exactly what they were worried about.

LOL "Threatening"? If a good'ol canadian boy negotiates a new contract and wants it on his terms it's business, nothing personal. If the Russian does that though... Is he meddling with the elections by any chance?

He is not threatening or whatever. The whole rumor is a media creation, but you believe it. How about due to the COVID season and the CBA he has no other options(which he would usually have)? His contract is up. Under normal circumstances he would have been the usual RFA. And it would be his perfect right to sign with another team if Minnesota is not willing to give him his terms(whch are pretty obvious. He wants a short term contract). Right now his options are just resigning wth the Wild and going back to Russia. What's wrong with him not willing to accept everything Minnesota offers? This is not the Radulov situation. And the most important part is he does not want to go back to Russia. He wants to stay with Minnesota. It's all about contract terms. And if his agent is using every leverage he has, then what's wrong with that?

If you want to act like Panarin was Panarin in his draft year, you are just rewriting history.

It is you who is bending the facts. Panarin was not a later round pick, he went undrafted, a completely different scenario. Yes, he wasn't a homerun at draft day, BUT he was the guy who's had 9 points in 20 KHL games. That's pretty effing good for a guy that young. He was also great in russian juniors that year. But why would NHL scouts care to look there, right? Okay, they decided he is not even worth a late round pick. But you know, drating overagers with some late picks is a thing. You'd think. He more than doubled his production in the KHL and was essential in Team Russia winning the WJC. But yet again, all NHL teams do not want to use even a 7th round pick on that guy. They crapped the bed. It is as simple as that. And even on the day he finally came to the NHL ALL North Americans projected him wrong.

I don't believe you about being better than NHL scout because of your genius when it comes to your Russian scouting. You sound ridiculous.

You don't understand what you are talking about. I am better than the NHL scouting on those Russians. Not because I am good at it I am as good as any other russaian hockey fan at it, an amateur, but because they literally do nothing. They elect to not do their job in Russia. It is by now a well known story about scouting Kaprizov for example. It was all by accident. They never heard of the player, they never watched him. But all they needed to do was not even asking some experts in Russia. Every single hockey fan could have told them about Kaprizov. They just chose to not waste their precious time and energy on scouting Russians. If you do that you end up with those crap shots in the dark because doing nothing as a pro-scout is still worse than just watching hockey as a casual fan.

I don't think you are aware of the actual number of Russians in the NHL. You would be betting on no more than 3 maybe 4 per draft and nailing each one while ignoring the rest of the class and have the entire NHL whiff.

Well, yeah, I am arussian fan who is not aware of the number of Russians in the NHL. Of course

The problem with the NHL is that every year they spend draft picks on guys even a casual fan as I've already said would tell them to stay away from and instead use pretty high picks on guys who have little chance of success. It's not a single case, not a bad pick here and there, it's a systemic failure. Extremely puzzling pick of Russians by the NHL are rather the norm. Not all of them of course, but there are some every year and it obviously not due to some GM or scout having a bad day, but because they don't have good, reliable input on the prospects in Russia.

 

[JetsUK]

The Mandela effect once again. When was it ever difficult to get a russian prospect out of Russia?

ALL Russians who are any good and play in Russia have at draft day a contract in the KHL. Many of them still get drafted high. Really high. Much higher than Kaprizov.

Kaprizov was skipped over for 4 rounds by ALL NHL teams while being a 1st round talent and it was known in Russia. Only not to NHL scouts it seems. He has not dropped to the 2nd or even the 3rd because of all that imaginary bullcrap you are talking about. He was picked in the 5th.

Picking a 1st round talent in the 5th is being completely wrong with the evaluation of his talent.



Yeah, yeah, alll Russians are enigmatic and evil. Who knows how to deal with their dark souls.



If talent is not the issue a player does not fall to the 5th. Ask Mailloux.



He's done everything right with his development. Ever thought of the fact that the reason he came not after 4 or 5 years(he could have done that in terms of being ready to play in the NHL) was BECAUSE he was picked in the 5th? What reasons did he have to believe the team trusts in him and wants him to succeed and won't treat him like a throwaway like so many Russians before him? So he decided to make some money in Russia first. Good for him.



LOL "Threatening"? If a good'ol canadian boy negotiates a new contract and wants it on his terms it's business, nothing personal. If the Russian does that though... Is he meddling with the elections by any chance?

He is not threatening or whatever. The whole rumor is a media creation, but you believe it. How about due to the COVID season and the CBA he has no other options(which he would usually have)? His contract is up. Under normal circumstances he would have been the usual. And it would be his perfect right to sign with another team if Minnesota is not willing to give him his terms(whch are pretty obvious. He wants a short term contract). Right now hei options are just resigning wth the Wild and going back to Russia. What's wrong with him not willing to accept everything Minnesota offers? This is not the Radulov situation. And the most important part is he does not want to go back to Russia. He wants to stay with Minnesota. It's all about contract terms. And if his agent is using every leverage he has, then what's wrong with that?



It is you who is bending the facts. Panarin was not a later round pick, he went undrafted, a completely different scenario. Yes, he wasn't a homerun at draft day, BUT he was the guy who's had 9 points in 20 KHL games. That's pretty effing good for a guy that young. He was also great in russian juniors that year. But why would NHL scouts care to look there, right? Okay, they decided he is not even worth a late round pick. But you know, drating overagers with some late picks is a thing. You'd think. He more than doubled his production in the KHL and was essential in Team Russia winning the WJC. But yet again, all NHL teams do not want to use even a 7th round pick on that guy. They crapped the bed. It is as simple as that. And even on the day he finally came to the NHL ALL North Americans projected him wrong.

If you pull a quote about being mad he wasn't drafted high in the first round in his draft year I'm going to be out of my mind impressed.



You don't understand what you are talking about. I am better than the NHL scouting on those Russians. Not because I am good at it I am as good as any other russaian hockey fan at it, an amateur, but because they literally do nothing. They elect to not do their job in Russia. It is by now a well known story about scouting Kaprizov for example. It was all by accident. They never heard of the player, they never watched him. But all they needed to do was not even asking some experts in Russia. Every single hockey fan could have told them about Kaprizov. They just chose to not waste their precious time and energy on scouting Russians. If you do that you end up with those crap shots in the dark because doing nothing as a pro-scout is still worse than just watching hockey as a casual fan.



Well, yeah, I am arussian fan who is not aware of the number of Russians in the NHL. Of course

The problem with the NHL is that every year they spend draft picks on guys even a casual fan as I've already said would tell them to stay away from and instead use pretty high picks on guys who have little chance of success. It's not a single case, not a bad pick here and there, it's a systemic failure. Extremely puzzling pick of Russians by the NHL are rather the norm. Not all of them of course, but there are some every year and it obviously not due to some GM or scout having a bad day, but because they don't have good, reliable input on the prospects in Russia.

Thanks for this post -- interesting to read such a detailed explanation of some of the dynamics and challenges involved here.

As someone who is obviously knowledgeable on the Russian prospect scene, what's your take on Chibrikov?

 

[GNP]

Another Ehlers-type player? Hell yes.

__________________________________________________

If this guy has any hockey IQ, and has a good shot, it sure looks to me like we have a future superstar in this kid. Man, he is slick, and he has speed to burn. I'm very impressed with what I see in this guy.

 

[Atas2000]

Thanks for this post -- interesting to read such a detailed explanation of some of the dynamics and challenges involved here.

As someone who is obviously knowledgeable on the Russian prospect scene, what's your take on Chibrikov?

Not a top10 talent. More like a second half of the first round guy as I stated before. I also agree with @Caser. If Yurov was in this draft(and not 2022) Yurov would probably be BPA among Russians. That's not to get e[pectation too high just yet. The things I liked about him most is his competitiveness and willingness to sacrifice his body in tough scoring areas(against men). And also his progression towards the end of the last season. Guys who at this age stay the same all season are often the ones who are already close to their ceiling. Partially due to COVID he's got quite a few KHL games last season(just like many other U18 players in Russia). The lack of production at 17 is pertty much normal. Ovechkin had 15 points in 40 games at 17 and Chibrikov is no Ovechkin. Towards the end of the season he was as a lone 17 year old called up to the senior NT(3rd youngest player to ever play for the senior NT behind Ovechkin and Tretiak) for a european tournament. And there he was fantastic AND productive(a goal and two assists in three games). Obviously unlike Ovechkin and Tretiak he wasn't playing in some major tournament, but still I really liked how he handled himself on a new level and against men. In the U18 WC he was the captain in any regard. The team had a bunch of very talented underagers like Yurov, Miroshnichenko and Michkov, so Chibrikov there had to be a leader by age. Michkov's insane goalscoring gave him the top scorer title, but overall Chibrikov was the best player throughout the tournament, leading the team when it mattered, scoring important goals or assisting on them. BTW he played with Yurov on the line most of the time. Maybe if he was paired with Michkov on the line the two would run up their stats even more, but for team success that was the right thing to do.

Again, not to get expectation too high, but his abilty to hold his own and willingness to compete against men reminded me of Kaprizov at his age. Kaprizov is a different build though. Not tall, but built like bulldog(he wasn't that muscular at 17 of course, that is why I like that comparison. But he would hustle and get away from hits at the boards and get to the pucks so you already could see that guy might have a bright future), not a superflashy skater, but very strong on the legs. Chibrikov is a better skater, faster and more agile, but will probably never be a hard hitter. I'd say Kaprizov is what Chibrikov's ceiling is. If he was to reach it it would obviously be great news for the Jets. Some would also say that Kaprizov was "much better at 17". Well, maybe better, but not by much. Kaprizov had 8 points in 31 games at 17 in the KHL. Chibrikov only 2 in 16 games. So again, my guess is that would be his ceiling.

The next season will be interesting. If SKA continues their policies Chibrikov will probably split time between the KHL and VHL. Right now SKA's roster is filled with recent NHL draft picks. They will probably have a young line again, or maybe even two. With Podkolzin gone Chibrikov might take his spot.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Not sure what it really adds to the talk but my ex girlfriend is from St. Petersburg, we've been together a couple of years during her Masters after her Bachelor in St. P. and her opinion about Russia is similar to what @Switlo said and she also told me similar things about the growing number of people with an internationally aimed academic background. People like her don't want to build their life in Russia, even though she's from a rather European big city (also: based on her sayings).

I'm not trying to fuel any anti-Russia-talk at all, please don't take it the wrong way, I just feel like I heard his opinion about young successful people/young athletes more and more not wanting to build up their lifes in Russia many times from exactly those people. Because obviously I not only talked about this topic with here, I also got to know other demographically 'fitting' young Russians with quite the same opinion. For example some young AI-programming guy that then soon left for Facebook in London.

Your ex girlfriend is an extreme minority in Russia. I mean, people wouldn't mind to make a good career somewhere in NA, but most of them understand it's not that simple, if possible at all. Not just it's hard to get to NA legally, but there are big cultural differences between countries. I'd say, your typical conservative people in NA would be considered liberals in Russia. And your liberals are source of countless memes and jokes here. Yeah, a lot of this is just a product of ignorance, but there are some good reasons behind this as well.

And I'm talking about common people, who'll never earn more than 1/50 of your average NHLer or 1/10 of your average KHLer. Young hockey players are totally different public. They dream about becoming successfull hockey players and getting big money. And with big money quality of life in big Russian cities is definitely higher, than of average American or Canadian. So they don't go to NA to live there. They go to NA to earn money and get back to Russia.

I mean, probably 90% of former Russian NHLers live in Russia right now. They aren't masochists, I assure you.

 

[WolfHouse]

Kaprizov holding out for 10-11 million and talking about staying in the K

 

[Atas2000]

Kaprizov holding out for 10-11 million and talking about staying in the K

Both are lies. He is holding out for a shorter term(and not those stupid numbers) which is pretty obviously beneficial for him. The team wants to lock him up for as long as possible which is pretty obviously beneficial for them. He is not talking about staying in the KHL. Where do you get this shite from? The CBA and the shortened COVID season dictate that he is not the usual RFA. His only options are resigning with the Wild or going to the KHL. What do you expect his agent to do if the KHL is the only leverage he has? Kaprizov wants to sign in Minnesota, they are negotiating. Nothing to see here. Now stop spreading those horror stories about Russians. They are completely baseless.

 

[Atas2000]

There seems to be much interest in Winnepeg

So here you go.

Interview after his 3 games with the senior NT(google translate it)

Хоккей. Никита Чибриков: «Результативные очки на Евротуре — это подарок для родителей на мой день рождения»

Assist on Moiseev's goal against Sweden.



Assist on Bardakov's(overager drafted in the 7th by the Devils) goal



Just bounced of his stick trying to redirect, but luckily for Bardakov to finish, but watch the "perimeter player" as some have already titled him here go in front of the net and collect a "free" assist

Could not find an edit of Chibrikov's goal alone, so here is the compilation of all the goals in the game. Chibrikov's goal sequence starts at 5:41. Bardakov now assisting on Chibrikov's goal.



Watch him fly past the defence(yes, I particlarily mean the people who questioned his skating). At 5:42 he is basically still sliding backwards in the own zone and then whoosh, he's gone. And some pro finish of course.

As it's the same game you can watch from the start to see a longer sequence on Chibrikov's assist on the first goal of the game. He starts the whole play out of the own zone with an outlet pass.

The only downside I see is when you watch the goal celebration you can see how Bardakov is a few inches taller.

 

[Atas2000]

Another look at the assist against Sweden.

 

[Atas2000]

The best compliation I found because it is from all three leagues(MHL, VHL, KHL) he played in last season and both U18 and senior NT.

 

[GJF]

I mean, probably 90% of former Russian NHLers live in Russia right now. They aren't masochists, I assure you.

That's a good point to be honest. Got me thinking and the longer I think about it, the more I believe I wouldn't be shocked if my ex would go back to St. Petersburg like maybe in her 40s/50s after having had a relatively successful career in Central Europe.

 

[ps241]

The Mandela effect once again. When was it ever difficult to get a russian prospect out of Russia?

ALL Russians who are any good and play in Russia have at draft day a contract in the KHL. Many of them still get drafted high. Really high. Much higher than Kaprizov.

Kaprizov was skipped over for 4 rounds by ALL NHL teams while being a 1st round talent and it was known in Russia. Only not to NHL scouts it seems. He has not dropped to the 2nd or even the 3rd because of all that imaginary bullcrap you are talking about. He was picked in the 5th.

Picking a 1st round talent in the 5th is being completely wrong with the evaluation of his talent.



Yeah, yeah, alll Russians are enigmatic and evil. Who knows how to deal with their dark souls.



If talent is not the issue a player does not fall to the 5th. Ask Mailloux.



He's done everything right with his development. Ever thought of the fact that the reason he came not after 4 or 5 years(he could have done that in terms of being ready to play in the NHL) was BECAUSE he was picked in the 5th? What reasons did he have to believe the team trusts in him and wants him to succeed and won't treat him like a throwaway like so many Russians before him? So he decided to make some money in Russia first. Good for him.



LOL "Threatening"? If a good'ol canadian boy negotiates a new contract and wants it on his terms it's business, nothing personal. If the Russian does that though... Is he meddling with the elections by any chance?

He is not threatening or whatever. The whole rumor is a media creation, but you believe it. How about due to the COVID season and the CBA he has no other options(which he would usually have)? His contract is up. Under normal circumstances he would have been the usual RFA. And it would be his perfect right to sign with another team if Minnesota is not willing to give him his terms(whch are pretty obvious. He wants a short term contract). Right now his options are just resigning wth the Wild and going back to Russia. What's wrong with him not willing to accept everything Minnesota offers? This is not the Radulov situation. And the most important part is he does not want to go back to Russia. He wants to stay with Minnesota. It's all about contract terms. And if his agent is using every leverage he has, then what's wrong with that?



It is you who is bending the facts. Panarin was not a later round pick, he went undrafted, a completely different scenario. Yes, he wasn't a homerun at draft day, BUT he was the guy who's had 9 points in 20 KHL games. That's pretty effing good for a guy that young. He was also great in russian juniors that year. But why would NHL scouts care to look there, right? Okay, they decided he is not even worth a late round pick. But you know, drating overagers with some late picks is a thing. You'd think. He more than doubled his production in the KHL and was essential in Team Russia winning the WJC. But yet again, all NHL teams do not want to use even a 7th round pick on that guy. They crapped the bed. It is as simple as that. And even on the day he finally came to the NHL ALL North Americans projected him wrong.



You don't understand what you are talking about. I am better than the NHL scouting on those Russians. Not because I am good at it I am as good as any other russaian hockey fan at it, an amateur, but because they literally do nothing. They elect to not do their job in Russia. It is by now a well known story about scouting Kaprizov for example. It was all by accident. They never heard of the player, they never watched him. But all they needed to do was not even asking some experts in Russia. Every single hockey fan could have told them about Kaprizov. They just chose to not waste their precious time and energy on scouting Russians. If you do that you end up with those crap shots in the dark because doing nothing as a pro-scout is still worse than just watching hockey as a casual fan.



Well, yeah, I am arussian fan who is not aware of the number of Russians in the NHL. Of course

The problem with the NHL is that every year they spend draft picks on guys even a casual fan as I've already said would tell them to stay away from and instead use pretty high picks on guys who have little chance of success. It's not a single case, not a bad pick here and there, it's a systemic failure. Extremely puzzling pick of Russians by the NHL are rather the norm. Not all of them of course, but there are some every year and it obviously not due to some GM or scout having a bad day, but because they don't have good, reliable input on the prospects in Russia.

Very informative.

frick I had no idea Kaprizov was a 5th round pick. Between he and Panarin there appears to be an additional market inefficiency in NHL scouting to add to the laundry list.

Fallers like a Johnny hockey and Brayden Point prove it’s not just in Russia where good talent gets undervalued on draft day either. It’s a crap shoot but if there is opprotunity to be had then perhaps we see NHL teams reacting. I know I am thrilled with Chibrikov in the 2nd round.

 

[Jets 31]

The guy hasn't even played a game with the Jets yet and this is already sounding like the Laine thread. I'll say it again, i don't care where a player is from as long as he helps the Jets get better and i'm pretty sure that's how our scouts look at it too.

 

[WolfHouse]

Both are lies. He is holding out for a shorter term(and not those stupid numbers) which is pretty obviously beneficial for him. The team wants to lock him up for as long as possible which is pretty obviously beneficial for them. He is not talking about staying in the KHL. Where do you get this shite from? The CBA and the shortened COVID season dictate that he is not the usual RFA. His only options are resigning with the Wild or going to the KHL. What do you expect his agent to do if the KHL is the only leverage he has? Kaprizov wants to sign in Minnesota, they are negotiating. Nothing to see here. Now stop spreading those horror stories about Russians. They are completely baseless.

It’s not hard to find the reports of his 4-5 year 1-11 million ask... five years is not a ‘bridge’

 

[tbcwpg]

Yea drafting higher-end Russians should be of no concern, nor is the possibility of established NHLers returning to KHL. The only risks I can think of are:
1. Guys won't spend too long chasing the NHL dream in the AHL with the pull of the KHL at home.
2. NHL clubs are weary of a lack of development control. That said, the track record of our guys developing at home is way better than those who go to NA (especially forwards), so it shouldn't be an issue. But that topic is for a different thread.
And Chibrikov just said he wants to mimic Kaprizov's style of development in KHL the next 2 years, so that's good. That he fell to 2nd round is ludicrous. You guys got a steal.

That said, I think the 'Russian factor' is valid for the mid-tier guys drafted out of Russia. Is it worth giving up a good thing in the KHL to maybe make the NHL when the strong possibility exists of toiling somewhere in the AHL? Tough choice because nothing is handed to you as a mid-level guy in NA. And honestly, making the NHL is a crapshoot for mid-level guys. Very little separates average NHLers from eachother, or from top AHL guys, or good guys in Europe. A lot of these players are interchangeable. Making the NHL is often predicated on opportunity, luck, a particular skill set, coach preference, chemistry with linemates, an open role on a roster, etc. I mean look at Las Vegas a few years back; a bunch of cast-offs (many of whom were likely bound for Europe) were given a change of scenery and they made the Cup finals.
Giving up security for insecurity isn't always an easy choice.

Good info. I just hope he doesn't mimic Kaprizov's 6 year KHL development plan.