Prospect Info: #98 Nikita Popugaev (RW)

[Darkauron]

Yeah things are not looking great for him. Seems likely that he will spend the next few years in Russia at this point....

 

[Better Call Sal]

That'd be a shame, but sometimes you just can't account for the adjustment for some of these guys especially when they're so young.

I hope he does come back at some point as he was such an intriguing prospect.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It was pretty obvious he wasn’t happy with Prince George the moment he got traded there.

He needs to do some serious maturing. Maybe that will be easier in Russia

 

[vorky]

Nikita A. #Popugayev to RSport: I considered a comeback to Russia, #KHL, in summer, but @PGCougars did not release me

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Nikita A. #Popugayev to RSport: I considered a comeback to Russia, #KHL, in summer, but @PGCougars did not release me

I'm more relieved to hear this. Leave him him in Russia for 2 years and see where his game is at.

 

[MadDevil]

Maybe we can have the great Russian invasion with Rykov, Popugaev, and Maltsev in a few years.

 

[markog]

Maybe we can have the great Russian invasion with Rykov, Popugaev, and Maltsev in a few years.

And Zaitsev.

 

[izzy]

yikes 1-0-1 thru 34 games this year

 

[TheUnseenHand]

yikes 1-0-1 thru 34 games this year

Yeah, it was a swing for the fences pick and we whiffed. No biggie. It was worth the gamble for where he was picked.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

#hegone

 

[Triumph]

He's unlikely to be anything in the NHL at this point but he's still only 20 and the KHL really isn't a great spot for a player like him - he's doing well in the minor league of the KHL, but when he's on the big club, they really don't give a lot of ice time to young players and the rosters are larger. He's dressed for games he hasn't gotten a shift in.

 

[izzy]

Yeah, it was a swing for the fences pick and we whiffed. No biggie. It was worth the gamble for where he was picked.

yeah i actually was hoping the blues would take the gamble on him back then tbh

 

[Cheddabombs]

Still like the pick, even if it's basically guaranteed he'll have no impact in the NHL. He has good raw skills and size. At that point in the draft, may as well swing for the fences lol

oh well

 

[MartyOwns]

i’m not giving up on him yet. the skill was always there, it didn’t go anywhere. i don’t know if anyone here can speak to his usage accurately enough to put those stats in context.

even if he does put it all together, i could see him staying in the khl...so whatever, it is what it is. still a great 4th round pick, especially when you compare it to the ryan kujawhateverthehells of yesteryear

 

[Patrik26]

Pop, we hardly knew ya .....

 

[MadDevil]

Maybe we can have the great Russian invasion with Rykov, Popugaev, and Maltsev in a few years.

Or not.

 

[tailfins]

i’m not giving up on him yet. the skill was always there, it didn’t go anywhere. i don’t know if anyone here can speak to his usage accurately enough to put those stats in context.

even if he does put it all together, i could see him staying in the khl...so whatever, it is what it is. still a great 4th round pick, especially when you compare it to the ryan kujawhateverthehells of yesteryear

I honestly have no idea what you're even trying to say with this. Kujawinski and Popugaev were booth boom or bust picks. Unless you're upset that Kujawinski was picked at 73 and Popugaev was a more reasonable 98?

 

[ScottyK]

Boom or bust

biiiiiiiig bust

 

[NJDevils17]

Love the pick anyway. Worth taking risks like this.

 

[MadDevil]

Love the pick anyway. Worth taking risks like this.

I'll take gambles like this over another Chatham, Baddock, Rehill, etc.

 

[Triumph]

I honestly have no idea what you're even trying to say with this. Kujawinski and Popugaev were booth boom or bust picks. Unless you're upset that Kujawinski was picked at 73 and Popugaev was a more reasonable 98?

I don't really believe in the notion of boom or bust picks. But Kujawinski in his draft year was 17-31-48 in 66 games and Popugaev was 29-40-69 in 71 games. He just had much better results, and he's likely to have a better career.

 

[Bleedred]

yikes 1-0-1 thru 34 games this year

We've been searching for Vladimir Zharkov's replacement for years now, What do you think @TheUnseenHand?

 

[TheUnseenHand]

We've been searching for Vladimir Zharkov's replacement for years now, What do you think @TheUnseenHand?

Can't hold a candle to Zharkov

 

[tailfins]

I don't really believe in the notion of boom or bust picks. But Kujawinski in his draft year was 17-31-48 in 66 games and Popugaev was 29-40-69 in 71 games. He just had much better results, and he's likely to have a better career.

Sure. But look at the scouting reports and you’ll see similar stuff. Plus, after Pop got traded, he was basically a 0.6 pts / game player. Unclear if Pop was just a product of Howden. Kujawinski, meanwhile, was a center and the second leading scorer on his team.

 

[KovalSNIPE]

The dumbest thing he could've done for his development was to go home to Russia.

Young players never get quality ice time in the KHL so every single game is basically stunting his development. He isn't getting good ice time so he isn't playing. Not playing = not getting experience. Not getting experience = not developing.