Igor Ozhiganov

[ottomaddox]

I'm only worried about Joe Bowen stumbling with his name during play by play. This might be painful.

 

[Maple Leaf]

The next Yushkevich

 

[Burnie97]

The next Yushkevich

Then he'd be a steal

 

[saltming]

Hopefully it's a matter of testing what refs will let him get away with and keep inching up the intensity game by game until he finds where the penalties start getting called.

I think it might be a process of getting used to the small ice. Hitting is a lot of timing so once he adjust to the speed on the small ice his hit count might go up.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Zaitsev looks like a significantly better former KHL player than Ozzy from early viewings and comparisons.

Well yeah. Zaitsev was and always has been the better talent. OZ was never touted nearly as highly as Zaitsev.

 

[as Pure as Evil]

I must admit I didn't see Maple Leafs pre season games, although I noticed they were pretty good for the most part.

How did Ozhiganov look in these games? Is he making the team?

he's doing everything you want him to. he's not being noticeable. he makes a smart first pass doesn't get pushed off the puck exactly what was said when we were hearing the first rumors a year and a half ago. before he was pigeon holed in the K. he will get betting as he gets more comfortable.

 

[crump]

Gud and long.

 

[Mess]

Well yeah. Zaitsev was and always has been the better talent. OZ was never touted nearly as highly as Zaitsev.

Agreed, which then makes Zaitsev a 2nd pairing Dman and OZ a 3rd pairing guy when using Zaits as a reference point and setting up the Dcore depth chart.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Agreed, which then makes Zaitsev a 2nd pairing Dman and OZ a 3rd pairing guy when using Zaits as a reference point and setting up the Dcore depth chart.

For sure, good reference point.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Leafs need another Dman or two that play PK. Hainsey, Reilly and Zaitsev can. Dermot can grow into the job. But if Ozzie can do it immediately (replacing Polak), it would be just what the Leafs need.
I don't but much credence is the silly number of pairings. If Ozzie makes the team, he's playing 12 minutes at even strength and 4 minutes PK a night. He better by NHL competent or else the Leafs will be looking for another RHD.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Getting to know Leafs defenceman Igor Ozhiganov | The Star

Sovetsky Sport: What are your impressions of Toronto?

Ozhiganov: I have been to Toronto for a few months now and I feel very comfortable here. Toronto is a very lively and busy city. My first impression of Toronto? Many skyscrapers! I have never lived in a city with so many high-rises. Moscow, of course, is very different.

Sovetsky Sport: How did you find the development camp? Was it difficult?

Ozhiganov: My goal was to make it to the main roster. I cannot really evaluate my game; I let coaches to do that. All my teammates are very positive and friendly. They have been trying to talk to me since day one. I just have problems communicating back some times as I am still trying to learn the language. I took English class before the start of development camp and I even started seeing some progress. Then Nikita Zaitsev came back from Russia and my progress stopped. If I do not understand something in English, I just turn to Nikita and ask for help (Igor’s stall is right next to Zaitsev). Everybody is so welcoming here, even the guys I practiced with before the camp tried to help me. I spoke to Nikita Soshnikov who was here in the summer. I also met Nik Antropov who gave me valuable advice. He played for the Toronto and now lives here too.

Sovetsky Sport: What about the league itself? How different is it from KHL?

Ozhiganov: I flew to Toronto a month before the development camp kicked off. I needed to get used to high tempo and fast-paced North American hockey. Hockey in this league is a lot faster since the rink is smaller and it takes time to adapt to this style. In KHL the ice rink is bigger and players have more time to think. In NHL you need to think quick and pass the puck fast. You do not have too much time to look for alternatives.

Sovetsky Sport: How do you communicate with Mike Babcock?

Ozhiganov: He always talks to me and Zaitsev at same time and Nikita translates everything for me. During team meetings, we are watching lots of video and it helps to understand what coach is talking about.

 

[Muston Atthews]

I thought he’d have more of a mean streak. He also needs a decent defenseman beside him. He looks fine with everyone but Marincin

 

[Luminiferous]

Nobody really looks good with Marincin. I want both Oz and Marincin to do well, but one is clearly not like the other.

 

[tom leafers]

Nobody really looks good with Marincin. I want both Oz and Marincin to do well, but one is clearly not like the other.

Once Dermot is back i never want to see Marincin again. I still blame him for that over time loss to Washington lol

 

[hockeywiz542]

How CSKA Moscow prepared Igor Ozhiganov for life with the...

At CSKA, players are challenged to outwork teammates for lineup spots. The team has been known to bring six lines worth of players to every game. Lineup rotations are frequent, meaning there could be up to 10 healthy scratches in the press box every night.

“If you made one mistake, you weren’t in the lineup the next night, no matter what you did positively,” said Platt. “That’s how thin the line was.”

Platt saw Ozhiganov deal with that constant pressure by playing “a simple game.”

“He knew that if he limited his mistakes, he’d stay in the lineup,” said Platt.

And playing a simple, mistake-free game is likely what attracted Leafs coach Mike Babcock to Ozhiganov in the first place.

It’s the same kind of consistent message that is applied by the management at CSKA: You’re expected to win every single game.

“The first day you go in, the only goal is to win the championship,” said Platt. “There’s no ‘Let’s make it to the playoffs, or the semifinals, or the finals.’ It’s the championship. That’s the only goal. And that’s from the very first day.”

Platt noticed how heavy those expectations weighed on many players.

But not Ozhiganov. Platt saw the young defenceman become a product of his environment and develop a hardened attitude at a young age.

“When I watch him play for the Leafs now with that same style I’m kind of proud because I know how nasty and physical he can be,” said Platt.

Platt isn’t alone in his enthusiasm for Ozhiganov.

“I’m excited to see how “Zhiggy” does,” said Scott.

 

[TheOneArmedMan]

Good upgrade to our previous guys. I hope he develops well. Seems like the young D are developing nicely and maybe by January we won't have to worry about looking for a 6 mill D man.Unless one becomes available...

 

[Randy Randerson]

Been a while since anyone talked about him specifically, any impressions?

I thought early in the season his underlying numbers looked great, but that it was just a product of Dermott. Lately he's starting to look like he can play and thought he looked great tonight - seperated guys from pucks on defense, timed some pinches well from the blueline and didn't just smash pucks into shin pads like Zaitsev

 

[zeke]

no panic. lots of poise. good hands.

He might be more than a bottom pair dman.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Next year:

Rielly ______
Dermott Zaitsev
______ Ozhiganov
______ _______

Rosen Sandin Borgman Liljegren Holl Hainsey(if re-signed) will fight for the bottom 3 spots.

 

[jaric1862]

He plays a pretty safe game and is an upgrade over Polak. Wish he had a bit more of a mean streak though

 

[Phion Keneuf]

This is what a legit bottom pairing Dman looks like. Not those scrubs we’ve had in the past. I like Ozzy’s game, keeps it simple without panicking with the puck. Could be some untapped offensive potential as he does show flashes sometimes. Would like him to be more physical, especially with his size

 

[Randy Randerson]

Next year:

Rielly ______
Dermott Zaitsev
______ Ozhiganov
______ _______

Rosen Sandin Borgman Liljegren Holl Hainsey(if re-signed) will fight for the bottom 3 spots.

I might be inclined to switch Zaitsev and Ozhiganov on that chart and see how he does, even do that now. Zaitsev's really fighting it most nights and just seems to be in constant panic mode

 

[93LEAFS]

Odoginov is growing on me. Him and Dermot is a good bottom pairing.

 

[Puckstuff]

You can't ask for a more stable #6.

Dermott-Oz don't get the top matchup's but when they are playing they look like a reliable top 4 or second pairing.

 

[Duke16]

I'm a fan