First Euro Star lost his job, who are the next ones?

[alko]

Jan Kovar, highly touted scoring machine from KHL, is not more welcome in Islanders family.

There were plenty of Europe free agent stars, that signed with NHL teams. Who is on the route to cancel his contract?

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[Kshahdoo]

Panarin? Radulov? Dadonov? Kempny?

 

[Howie Hodge]

I assume it is mutual, and Jan doesn't wish to play in Bridgeport.

Termination, by mutual agreement should allow him to go back to The KHL and resume playing there...

I haven't heard of any other players in said position this season.

And I apologize if I'm missing your point here...

 

[Icebreakers]

Highly touted scoring machine? Dude had 7 goals in 54 games last year. He could be declining rapidly .

 

[SoundAndFury]

I think Rodin was really the first one.

Aberg could be on his way back, he seems to be in a kinda sticky situation. Other than that, how many "euro stars" are there to begin with? Most guys know full well they might have to play in AHL before crossing the pond.

Highly touted scoring machine? Dude had 7 goals in 54 games last year. He could be declining rapidly .

He isn't. The real scoring machine he was playing with for most of his career is. Magnitka will welcome him back with open arms though.

 

[Zamuz]

I don't understand how was that contract even made, he just regressed from 63 points to 35 points in KHL which is almost by half. Terrible signing from islanders.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I don't understand how was that contract even made, he just regressed from 63 points to 35 points in KHL which is almost by half. Terrible signing from islanders.

If only they were as good at stat-watching as you are. Giroux went from scoring 58 to 102. I guess he was a terrible hockey player and then he wasn't. Is that how it works?

Mozyakin regressed from 85 to 42. Kovar was never some kind of offensive super talent. His numbers took a hit because Zaripov moved to Ak Bars and Mozyakin is 37. Nobody expected Kovar to score even 40 points in the NHL, he was brought in as a possibly decent 3rd line center. It didn't work out. Move on.

 

[IamNotADancer]

Yeah, I think we have different definitions of "star" . I really wish European news outlets would stop calling any player that even sniffed NHL hockey a star, it makes some people look very silly.

I've seen this many times before when a Euro team, let's take the DEL for instance, signs a guy straight out of the AHL who has played maybe 2 NHL games 6 years ago, and news outlets (in this case German ones) call this guy an "NHL star".

So, to recap. Guy was never drafted, never played a single NHL game, at age 28 he was not able to break into a reeling New York Islanders roster (not saying they are bad, they are doing well for what they have , but not exactly a scary team per se) and he is called a "European Star" .... k.. got it. Anyhow, let him be a star in Europe, I'm pretty sure Islanders are much better off without him.

 

[ESH]

Panarin? Radulov? Dadonov? Kempny?

No?

 

[SoundAndFury]

So, to recap. Guy was never drafted, never played a single NHL game, at age 28 he was not able to break into a reeling New York Islanders roster (not saying they are bad, they are doing well for what they have , but not exactly a scary team per se) and he is called a "European Star" .... k.. got it. Anyhow, let him be a star in Europe, I'm pretty sure Islanders are much better off without him.

Well, you are missing the point a bit. He is a star in Europe, just like Shipachyov, Červenka, Weinhandl, etc. They all fared similarly in the NHL. Nevertheless, they are the stars of European hockey. Nobody called him an NHL star, in this. The publications you referred to are indeed silly (and they really are out there) but it doesn't apply in this case.

 

[Kevs Security]

Panarin? Radulov? Dadonov? Kempny?

All of these guys are NHL regulars. Guys like Zykov, Lyubushkin and Kiselevich are a different story.

Players I can see signing with a KHL/SHL/Swiss-team after or during this season, if they're sent back to minors again:
Zykov, Luybushkin, Kiselevich, Soshnikov, Suomela, Hannikainen, Riikola, Paajarvi-Svensson, O. Lindberg, Heed, P. Lindholm, Sobotka, Kampf, Rutta, Jerabek, Simek, Kahun, Holzer, A. Martinsen.

Soshnikov, Lyubushkin, Kiselevich, Hannikainen, Lindberg, Heed, Lindholm, Jerabek and Martinsen are guaranteed to leave after this season if they are sent to the AHL. Mark my words.

 

[Elvs]

He didn't exactly lose his job. Contracts can't be terminated unless the player agrees to, or unless the player somehow violates the terms agreed to in said contract. Kovar could have sticked around in the AHL and waited for his chance, but he'd rather go back to Europe.

 

[SoundAndFury]

All of these guys are NHL regulars. Guys like Zykov, Lyubushkin and Kiselevich are a different story.

Players I can see signing with a KHL/SHL/Swiss-team after or during this season, if they're sent back to minors again:
Zykov, Luybushkin, Kiselevich, Soshnikov, Suomela, Hannikainen, Riikola, Paajarvi-Svensson, O. Lindberg, Heed, P. Lindholm, Sobotka, Kampf, Rutta, Jerabek, Simek, Kahun, Holzer, A. Martinsen.

Soshnikov, Lyubushkin, Kiselevich, Hannikainen, Lindberg, Heed, Lindholm, Jerabek and Martinsen are guaranteed to leave after this season if they are sent to the AHL. Mark my words.

The first list is rather poor. Kovar or Shypachyov can walk away from the contract because they are being paid millions in Europe. Most of the guys you listed don't have this warm place to come back to. There is no way a regular humble European player just walks away from a contract: a) after a month in the organization when he was determined to give NHL a shot (Lyubushkin, Kiselevich, etc.); b) when he has almost made it and financially is making roughly the same what he would in Europe (Zykov, Kampf, etc.); c) when he has a solid deal which pays him a lot of money (Ruuta, Sobotka, etc.). To be honest I don't think guys like Ruuta or Sobotka belong anywhere near this list in any case. So maybe someone like Soshnikov would do it it's really hard to anticipate. One guy who would seem likely to do it in a current situation - Shumakov - isn't even on your list.

The second list is fair enough and could be far longer, dozens of Euros move back and forth every year.

 

[Paulinvancouver]

well take him... can afford to be quite patient with him if necessary..

 

[IamNotADancer]

Well, you are missing the point a bit. He is a star in Europe, just like Shipachyov, Červenka, Weinhandl, etc. They all fared similarly in the NHL. Nevertheless, they are the stars of European hockey. Nobody called him an NHL star, in this. The publications you referred to are indeed silly (and they really are out there) but it doesn't apply in this case.

Fair enough.

 

[Kevs Security]

The first list is rather poor. Kovar or Shypachyov can walk away from the contract because they are being paid millions in Europe. Most of the guys you listed don't have this warm place to come back to. There is no way a regular humble European player just walks away from a contract: a) after a month in the organization when he was determined to give NHL a shot (Lyubushkin, Kiselevich, etc.); b) when he has almost made it and financially is making roughly the same what he would in Europe (Zykov, Kampf, etc.); c) when he has a solid deal which pays him a lot of money (Ruuta, Sobotka, etc.). To be honest I don't think guys like Ruuta or Sobotka belong anywhere near this list in any case. So maybe someone like Soshnikov would do it it's really hard to anticipate. One guy who would seem likely to do it in a current situation - Shumakov - isn't even on your list.

The second list is fair enough and could be far longer, dozens of Euros move back and forth every year.

Yeah, I mean guys like Riikola, Zykov and Kampf don't make that much money in the AHL. Somethink like $150-200k, if I'm correct? NHL or AHL -status alone ensures them that kind of money in Europe, where they're playing closer to home and family. I'm not saying these guys are walking away after just one month, but some of them will.

Rutta was just an example of an "Euro star", who is likely to go back home if thing's aren't going the way he wants. Guy's 28-years old, plays in the national team in tournaments and is guaranteed to make big bucks back in Europe. A team like SKA, Magnitogorsk or CSKA would be highly interested to add a proven right handed dman on their team for $2 million dollars. And considering the amount of taxes they pay in Russia, it would be a pretty sweet deal for a guy like Rutta. Same goes for Sobotka, who is considered as a bottom-6 player in the NHL, but could be a relatively highly paid star in Europe. I can see them both walking away from NHL once they hit the UFA-market, if they are still playing bottom-pair or bottom-line minutes.

I'd be pretty confident to say that once european player turns 25-years old and still hasn't make it to the big show, he'll start to look for other options. It's not worth it to spend your career in minors, when you could be playing more and making the same amount of money in Europe.

 

[SoundAndFury]

[Mod]

Yeah, I mean guys like Riikola, Zykov and Kampf don't make that much money in the AHL. Somethink like $150-200k, if I'm correct? NHL or AHL -status alone ensures them that kind of money in Europe, where they're playing closer to home and family. I'm not saying these guys are walking away after just one month, but some of them will.

Rutta was just an example of an "Euro star", who is likely to go back home if thing's aren't going the way he wants. Guy's 28-years old, plays in the national team in tournaments and is guaranteed to make big bucks back in Europe. A team like SKA, Magnitogorsk or CSKA would be highly interested to add a proven right handed dman on their team for $2 million dollars. And considering the amount of taxes they pay in Russia, it would be a pretty sweet deal for a guy like Rutta. Same goes for Sobotka, who is considered as a bottom-6 player in the NHL, but could be a relatively highly paid star in Europe. I can see them both walking away from NHL once they hit the UFA-market, if they are still playing bottom-pair or bottom-line minutes.

I'd be pretty confident to say that once european player turns 25-years old and still hasn't make it to the big show, he'll start to look for other options. It's not worth it to spend your career in minors, when you could be playing more and making the same amount of money in Europe.

That's true regarding their AHL salary but they are bouncing between the AHL and NHL so if they split the season 50-50 between those leagues they still end up making roughly the same or even slightly more money that they would in Europe. Not to mention that if they make the NHL full time they end up being paid a lot more. And the guys you mentioned are in a pretty good position to do so, currently.

Isn't Ruuta a top-4 D in Chicago as it is?

The last paragraph is undoubtedly correct but if there is a legitimate shot of making the NHL they will stick around. Look at someone like Martinsen, he is 28 and it's his 4th year of being in and out of the NHL. Thing is the player with his skill set would make 300k per year tops in Europe so he isn't actually missing out on anything.

 

[ijuka]

No wonder. Everyone knows he is entirely a product of Sergei Mozyakin and really isn't a very good player.

 

[Hennessy]

Every year you have a handful of relatively successful, established Euro players come over hoping to make a team. Few ever do, and of those who stick not many leave much of an impression.

But they're still fun to have around. Fans can hope for a diamond in the rough, that a player's skills will translate and that his/her team gets a freebie. I know I'm always a little disappointed when these guys don't pan out, regardless of which team. It's always nice to have more talent in the league.

 

[Zamuz]

If only they were as good at stat-watching as you are. Giroux went from scoring 58 to 102. I guess he was a terrible hockey player and then he wasn't. Is that how it works?

Mozyakin regressed from 85 to 42. Kovar was never some kind of offensive super talent. His numbers took a hit because Zaripov moved to Ak Bars and Mozyakin is 37. Nobody expected Kovar to score even 40 points in the NHL, he was brought in as a possibly decent 3rd line center. It didn't work out. Move on.

Who is surprised that my stat watching would have turned out correct?

 

[SoundAndFury]

Who is surprised that my stat watching would have turned out correct?

The stat-watching was irrelevant for a role he was supposed to play. It also didn't mean he is declining, it meant players who generated offense around him declined, in this particular case. If you stat-watched Ozhiganov, for example, he declined terribly as well before signing with the Leafs. But did he?

[Mod]

 

[Jumptheshark]

Jan Kovar, highly touted scoring machine from KHL, is not more welcome in Islanders family.

There were plenty of Europe free agent stars, that signed with NHL teams. Who is on the route to cancel his contract?

Explain how he is a euro star? His wheels fell off last year and spent most of the year on the 3rd line

 

[SoundAndFury]

Explain how he is a euro star? His wheels fell off last year and spent most of the year on the 3rd line

What? Where did this come from?

He lead Magnitka in TOI playing over 20 minutes per game, even more than Mozyakin himself, he NEVER played on the 3rd line, his offensive production dropped because Magnitka's top line struggled (by their standards, at least) not because he was used any differently. Like I pointed out, Mozyakin went from scoring 85 to 42 himself. Kovar, meanwhile, lead his country's Olympic team in scoring. I don't know, the dude who has represented his country in multiple international tournaments, lead the NT in scoring in the Olympics, plays over 20 minutes for one of the best teams is in the KHL, has won multiple Gagarin cups as well as some personal awards is a European star, no?

Unless you know a lot of forwards who end up with 20.27 average TOI after spending "most of the year on 3rd line". 20.55 in the playoffs. Pretty good for a guy whose wheels fell off.

Damn, some of these takes...

 

[Zamuz]

The stat-watching was irrelevant for a role he was supposed to play. It also didn't mean he is declining, it meant players who generated offense around him declined, in this particular case. If you stat-watched Ozhiganov, for example, he declined terribly as well before signing with the Leafs. But did he?

He declined but he is still better, also D is much different and not as dependant on offensive abilities. If a center declines by almost 30 points that should raise questions and not give him contract to NHL. 3rd line is also not only defensive line, in current NHL most 3rd lines are great offensive lines. We don't live in the 90's

 

[SoundAndFury]

He declined but he is still better, also D is much different and not as dependant on offensive abilities. If a center declines by almost 30 points that should raise questions and not give him contract to NHL. 3rd line is also not only defensive line, in current NHL most 3rd lines are great offensive lines. We don't live in the 90's

How about guys like Kalinin or Mamin and even Nichushkin for that matter who signed NHL contracts without ever scoring at least 30 points in the KHL?