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Dallas Stars 2013 draft review

joelnmich

Registered User
Jan 2, 2007
204
13
Valeri

We called the lesser Bure "Val" and he sucked...

Why not use the back end of his name and Call him "Larry" and hope he doesn't suck.

It's a common North American name for a guy who can't speak English...therefore, ironic.

Chewie is alright but obscure...Russian Bull or Russian Bear (Oso) wouldn't be bad but tend to portray an image of style of play that may or may not taint one's perspective and anticipation for a young player.

The players will probably call him Nicky or Nick or Nich (nitch)....most hockey nicknames are lame variations of someone's name.

If you want to go full-Pejorative Slur with an obscure references to names you could call him Wedge or Shim because that is the tool you use to fill a nitch (Nich--) that the Stars have needed on RW for a while.

Val the Impaler? nah...

We could always call him Fetch but I think that's the Glennie's given nickname.:sarcasm:

This is my 100th post in 6.5 years on this board. Whoopie
 
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hairylikebear

hairylikebear

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Apr 30, 2009
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Ampersand said:
(Chelyabinsk is his home town, is pronounced with a 'sh' sound)
Click to expand...

It actually isn't.

Mike Farkas said:
There's probably a better comparable, maybe even Semin, but he doesn't have Semin's shot. And even he's an underrated playmaker and player in general. But it goes beyond the playmaking and the shooting and the position and that for me...he calculates the game in a different manner than Rick Nash. He's just wired differently to me. You're right though, Geno isn't the best guy, but they think the game in a similar way.
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I see what you mean, and yeah Nash does play the game a bit differently. It's hard to make a comparable because he's such a unique player. He's like Malkin in that he has the ability to blow through an entire team with the puck, but he can also slow it down and pass it away. Nash is a player who always likes to keep defenders on their heels, whereas Nichushkin tries to keep them off balance, not unlike Semin.

As far as how he thinks the game, it reminds me of people that praise Oleksiak's skating, in that it's good for someone that big and strong, but if he were 5'11" he would be criticized for it. However, he's not prone to making boneheaded passes, he just tends to stick with what works. Hopefully NHL coaches can help him utilize his passing ability to its full potential to make him a more dynamic offensive threat. In any case, people who are expecting him to light the league on fire Ovechkin/Malkin style will be rather disappointed. I predict lots of Fire Ruff talk when he gives Nichushkin 10 minutes a game in a defensive role, but he's incredibly raw, despite being good enough for the NHL. With the right seasoning, this kid has hart trophy potential. (read: "high ceiling")
 
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hairylikebear

hairylikebear

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Nah he's from Kashyyyk (pronounced with a ch ofc).

But yeah, there are people that pronounce it with an sh, but it's a slur, like Nishooshkin. The Russian "Ч" is pronounced like a ch, "Щ" and "Ш" are pronounced like sh.
 
Starry Knight

Starry Knight

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Jun 9, 2013
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I am going to make the jump no one else is willing to make. He plays like Ovechkin. Big physical winger who loves to drive the net and utilize his shot. Both are not lacking vision, but it is not their strong suit. Clearly Nichushkin is not on the same level, but I see similarities.
 
glovesave_35

glovesave_35

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Jan 9, 2007
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Mr Misty said:
Prepare to be annoyed. If you want outside fans to know even the most basic thing about the Stars, our GM's history with the Red Wings is going to be the best we can hope for and the best way for most journalism to clue in people to the new situation. People who follow the Stars closely have to put up with this stuff, and here on HF until recently we lived with Nieuwendyk is bad at trades, the Goligoski deal was a disaster, there is no owner, and Bob Gainey is our GM just in the time I have been posting here.
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I differentiate between armchair GM's on a hockey forum and hockey media. I imagine a time in the future when Benn is lumped in with Nill's other homegrown players.
 

Dundalis

Registered User
Dec 28, 2003
531
20
Mike Farkas said:
I have to say, I wasn't a fan of the pick when it was first made. Honestly, my notes (in the year+ leading up to the draft) on Nichu weren't always the most flattering, but they were respectful of his skill level. I really did a lot of film work on Nichu (did you guys come up with a nickname for him yet? That's something I haven't found out about yet...) and I really came away with a different feeling actually.

I haven't submitted it yet, but this is my scouting report on him.



As referenced, I'm conservative with my grades...also referenced in the quoted was the grade I submitted for him.
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Just curious why you were at first not very high on him? Obviously going back and watching footage helps you get more of a feel, but not usually from not liking to very much liking a player, or had you not seen much of him?

Also from the comments on him, i.e. like Rick Nash but with superior approach (hockey IQ?), I would have thought a less skilled Ovechkin would be apt as BennyJ mentioned for a comp?

Also I'm still somewhat worried why such a physically dominant and skilled player failed to score more than he did at the youth levels he played at (WJC and the Russian youth league)
 
Michael Farkas

Michael Farkas

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Dundalis said:
Just curious why you were at first not very high on him? Obviously going back and watching footage helps you get more of a feel, but not usually from not liking to very much liking a player, or had you not seen much of him?

Also from the comments on him, i.e. like Rick Nash but with superior approach (hockey IQ?), I would have thought a less skilled Ovechkin would be apt as BennyJ mentioned for a comp?

Also I'm still somewhat worried why such a physically dominant and skilled player failed to score more than he did at the youth levels he played at (WJC and the Russian youth league)
Click to expand...

I didn't care for his style at a cursory glance. I didn't think it was sustainable. It was a package of tools I wouldn't turn down at a certain point, but I had him pegged as someone that should rightfully slip on draft day (nationality aside) initially. And to the point that I was disappointed that the Stars drafted him, as I root for the Stars to draft well. I take no pride in deriding picks (especially lottery picks) that a team makes, that this team makes...

So, when I was at the draft, I thought about what I was going to write. Should I sugarcoat it and be excited for those that are being excited...or should I go out on a limb and say what I feel and say that this top-10 pick probably isn't going to be much of anything at the NHL level...with the scenario that it could forever go in my hall of shame...

Fortunately (for me, I guess), I really took the time to examine his game. And I came away impressed, as you can see...it's not perfect, it's not a stonecold lock to be anything, but it's better than I initially thought...it's rare that I have such a change of heart, normally my first instinct is the one I go with...mainly, because on closer examination, I've determined my first look was the "right" look (as far as my own opinion goes).

The Ovechkin comparison isn't awful, but I just can't speak as to why it's just not a match to my eyes. It's all in the calculation of it all...I can't quite put it into words, but I see so much more Malkin vs. Ovechkin/Nash. Even though his stat lines will be more Ovechkin/Nash like...from a playmaking, or lack thereof, standpoint, yes, at the binary level, Ovy and Nash are more on point.

The stat lines are all sample size and context really...I wouldn't read much into it. He played one year in the Russian Junior league when he was 16 playing against older kids (he finished top-10 in league scoring among that youngest age group). One year later, he's a point per game in a small sample size. Also throws some goals in at a plentiful pace in the second-tier VHL. Then he's playing pretty effective hockey as a 17 year old in the second best league in the world. That's ok in my book in terms of level of competition.

Nickname that also won't make it into future articles: Klaatu Valeri Nichu.
 
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Hull Fan

Hull Fan

The Future is Now
Mar 21, 2007
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Nice write up Mike. Appreciate that you took a second look and have found positives about Nichushkin. I don't think he'll light the NHL on fire but say 35-45 points seems fairly reasonable.

I like Drago. Doesn't he have "I will break you," written all over him?
The Russian Factor at least attempts beyond the lame name variations.
Chewie is flat out fantastic, though I'm not sure he'd appreciate it.
Choosh is decent.
Oso, why does this Russian kid have a Spanish nickname?
 
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