How much has the play in KHL deteriorated over the years?

[Tenkkapoo]

I have watched the KHL more or less closely since it began in the 2008-2009 season. I also followed Russian Superleague a couple of seasons before that.

It is my opinion that the level of play in the KHL has deteriorated from what it was back then. This opinion is based on the eye-test and by looking at the rosters of KHL teams back then and now.

The game looked better and more organized and skillful ten years ago than it is now. I often get bored watching the KHL nowadays. There are too many players on the ice who should not be playing in this league.

Another aspect lacking nowadays in the KHL is star-appeal. Whereas ten years ago I got to watch Jaromir Jagr, Alexander Radulov, Alexey Morozov, Danis Zaripov, Sergei Mozyakin, Alexey Yashin, Viktor Kozlov, Ilya NIkulin and others, nowadays I have to settle for... Teemu Hartikainen. Nothing against Hartikainen who is a great player, but he should not be tbe best player in the KHL.

Ten years ago the KHL was filled with great and very good Russian players. Nowadays I hardly find any. This is a league dominated by middle-level foreign players who come from the AHL or Sweden or Switzerland.

The KHL was supposed to bring the level of Russian hockey to another level. But the level of hockey in Russia is now worse than before the KHL was started. The project has failed.

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[Tenkkapoo]

Top scorers in the KHL in 2009-2010 season. Go through the list and compare that to the current leaders: Elite Prospects - KHL Stats 2009-2010

Such a difference.

 

[Albatros]

It's also sad that the number of truly awful teams has stayed constant while the league has got smaller.

 

[Rigafan]

I understand how you mean, though remember the actual KHL league is still very young and is changing its rules all the time and its teams which doesn't help with the consistency.

A lot of the imports that appear should not be in the league if it is truly the second level of hockey in the world, I definitely agree on that.

 

[Math the wild rose]

Its the young players that are deteriorate the line eups, in every league

The young guys have no hockey sense or hockey iq it used to be.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Its the young players that are deteriorate the line eups, in every league

The young guys have no hockey sense or hockey iq it used to be.

Yes, gladly that Kaprizov bum is gone, he was dragging the league down.

I've seen some terrible takes but this might be the worst. You win, sir.

 

[Math the wild rose]

Yes, gladly that Kaprizov bum is gone, he was dragging the league down.

I've seen some terrible takes but this might be the worst. You win, sir.

Just watch Hendrix lapierre with the caps.
Or some young guys in the lhjmq, the caliber dropped. Just watch him, and the 2019 draft too. Watch how many games in the nhl the young guys will get in the next 3 or 4 years. That will be ridicously not very much. i think.

The ontario junior hockey league is better now, and the west in canada by far, but they are lacking development too.
Hockey canada must double their efforts in their hockey programs or more players from europe, and USa that is very good at developing players now.

Europe, if they develop better program they could beat Canada at the Olympics more often.

 

[Boeser Fan]

Is Nigel Dawes still the GOAT of this league?

 

[aonb]

Is Nigel Dawes still the GOAT of this league?

No, he is not

 

[SoundAndFury]

Is Nigel Dawes still the GOAT of this league?

Was he ever?

 

[Jumptheshark]

My belief is that they expanded too quickly and there was not enough talent to off set the demands of the teams. You also have a few team owners who are very rich while other struggle to make payroll or can not make payroll.

Over the last few years I have heard horror stories from players I have run into over playing with some of the lower end teams in the league

 

[Atas2000]

My belief is that they expanded too quickly and there was not enough talent to off set the demands of the teams. You also have a few team owners who are very rich while other struggle to make payroll or can not make payroll.

Over the last few years I have heard horror stories from players I have run into over playing with some of the lower end teams in the league

You should listen to less horror stories.

 

[Omark]

It's all about salaries. Now there is a salary cap which prevents good teams to hire star players. That destroyed this league. Nowadays KHL is the most boring hockey league I know. It is also a myth that there would be more skill and offensive creativity than other leagues. Actually KHL is the most defensive oriented league in the world and there's least amount of goals per game. Also there is no creativity, just shots from every bad angle and puck dumps instead of passing or skating with the puck.

Also, have you noticed how much there is "too many players on ice" penalties in KHL this season? It's absolutely ridiculous. Someone get those stats, it's probably 10x or even 50x more than in any other league. Is it because of dumb players or referees or some oligarch told referees to whistle every normal shift, I don't know.

 

[SoundAndFury]

It's all about salaries. Now there is a salary cap that prevents good teams to hire star players.

The salary cap only made the salaries uncompetitive compared to the NHL. Which it was anyway. Furthermore, SKA, CSKA and maybe Ak Bars were the only teams that could afford to spend more than the current cap anyway.

You are not wrong about the focus on defense, however. VHL is the only league that's even worse, it's something about Russian hockey culture. There was a myth it's about the rink size but KHL moving to smaller rinks proved that has nothing to do with it. Having said that, it has nothing to do with deterioration, it was always the case.

P.S. Can't help but feel someone's watching CSKA - Ak Bars game

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

It was clear to me from early on they were destined to be a Mickey Mouse league when they decided to go with archaic Euro-style roster rules rather than constructing rosters NHL style, with import limits and no trading - both chickensh*t moves that have kept the KHL looking like an overgrown Euro national league rather than a major league sport.

 

[Rigafan]

It was clear to me from early on they were destined to be a Mickey Mouse league when they decided to go with archaic Euro-style roster rules rather than constructing rosters NHL style, with import limits and no trading - both chickensh*t moves that have kept the KHL looking like an overgrown Euro national league rather than a major league sport.

The absolute mess it would cause to have NHL style contracts in Europe is probably not even worth thinking about!

 

[Atas2000]

It was clear to me from early on they were destined to be a Mickey Mouse league when they decided to go with archaic Euro-style roster rules rather than constructing rosters NHL style, with import limits and no trading - both chickensh*t moves that have kept the KHL looking like an overgrown Euro national league rather than a major league sport.

LOL "archaic", "Euro-style"...

No trading? How's life in the parallel universe?

You say "Euro national league" like it's abad thing

You say "major league sport" like it's a good one

BTW how about you would answer the OP question rather than pulling a poor attempt of making the KHL look bad, but based on very poor knowledge?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

The absolute mess it would cause to have NHL style contracts in Europe is probably not even worth thinking about!

I am fairly certain some things in NHL-style are not even legal in European courts. Mostly for it violates labor laws.