LD Alexander Romanov (2018, 38th, MTL)

[absolute garbage]

I remember being very impressed by a cage-wearing Voynov something like 10 years ago in one of these tournaments, and Romanov reminded of him a bit.

 

[Hostile Offer]

Love him. Tremendous skater who plays physical and has skill with the puck. Habs got a good one in him.

 

[montreal]

Who is his NHL comparable anyways? I keep hearing he's good but not specifically what he's doing that's good. Is he a two-way D or more of just an offensive D?

in all my years of following Hab prospects outside of goalies which is the only position I never played at any level, I'm having the hardest time trying to figure out Romanov. The problem is that while I've seen a number of his KHL games, they always vary from playing a steady shift at one side mostly RD but then the next time I'd see him he would play very inconsistent shifts and at both LD and RD so he might sit for several shifts and end up only playing say between 4-8 minutes. For reference here's his TOI in order from the 1st game to the last.

7:40
2:07
4:27
11 36
7 23
13 01
9 35
11 27
13 44
10 16
7 02
12 16
7 13
8 52
10 58
14 22
14 56
13 50
8 42
5 33
11 56
10 23
6 32
14 43
15 49
8 52
17 52
2 20


So you can see if you were to watch games say here and there you might catch a game where he plays a lot and the next time he might not play that much. He's averaged 10:07 in 28 games.

Now the question is what is? So he's got a solid frame, he has that upright skating stride that makes him look taller, but he's got a solid build. Great skater and mobility along with the speed that you want to see in today's NHL. He plays physical but I think that's way overblown as he has been compared to Emelin but I just don't see it as Emelin was boderline dirty whereas Romanov has a smart physical game and while i've seen some big time hits there no where near as often as Emelin.

He seems to be aggressive in the offensive zone so I think he'll put up some points as he seems to have a decent shot although I haven't seen him take a lot of shots in the KHL. I saw a few games last year in the MHL and thought he needed some work on his defensive play but in the KHL he plays a very safe, smart defensive game as I can count all the mistakes i've seen him make in his own end on one hand and that's so impressive when you consider; he's 18, he's on a top team in the KHL, he's being moved between LD and RD at times in the same game, he's often playing his off-side, his TOI is all over the place.

But I don't know what he really is. He seems to have some offense but has zero points in the KHL. He seems to be really solid in his own end, he's physical but by no means would I compare him to Emelin who I got to see a good bit of when he was in the old RSL and the KHL. (I knew someone in Moscow who was a Hab fan and we would trade VHS tapes so I could see guys like Kostitsyn, Grabovski, Emelin, Korneev play and she could get some Hab games)

 

[Thebesthockey]

much better picks available at 38
not a fan

 

[CapSpace]

much better picks available at 38
not a fan

Drop the names. We will have fun in 5 years.

 

[PKWeber]

much better picks available at 38
not a fan

Wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up better than Sandin

 

[Thebesthockey]

Drop the names. We will have fun in 5 years.

wilde
tychonick
anderssen

 

[TT1]

wilde
tychonick
anderssen

Anderssen? Who? You mean Axel Andersson? lol

 

[Thebesthockey]

Anderssen? Who? You mean Axel Andersson? lol

yes same one on wjc team and already signed by boston

what are you 5 ?

 

[TT1]

yes same one on wjc team and already signed by boston

what are you 5 ?

I dunno but Andersson couldn't even crack Sweden's U20 roster this year.. whereas Romanov is already a top 2 defender for Russia (along with Alexeyev).

 

[greasysnapper]

From what I've seen so far he's got a lot more puck skills, is more mobile and a better skater but doesn't have the size/strenght Emelin has. He seems to like to lay big hits maybe that's why Timmins made the comparison with Emelin.

I've seen him quite frequently and I'd disagree with the puck skills statement. I don't think at the adult level he has plus puck skills. He's a good skater and looks on track to one day be an NHL'er, but I think from a production standpoint, he's closer to a 15pt contributor playing 2nd pairing minutes. He's more of a meat and potatoes player like an Emelin than he is a Voynov is if that makes sense.

 

[Frk It]

I like him a lot. I remember him playing top pairing minutes for Russia in some tournament in his draft year (WJAC or 5 Nation) and thought it was weird he was getting no buzz and had no thread.

 

[sharks9]

 

[Deficient Mode]

I've seen him quite frequently and I'd disagree with the puck skills statement. I don't think at the adult level he has plus puck skills. He's a good skater and looks on track to one day be an NHL'er, but I think from a production standpoint, he's closer to a 15pt contributor playing 2nd pairing minutes. He's more of a meat and potatoes player like an Emelin than he is a Voynov is if that makes sense.

His offensive tools don't suggest more than a 15 point NHL player, but he's a much more promising puck mover than Emelin ever was. So he could be a much better player.

 

[1909]

His offensive tools don't suggest more than a 15 point NHL player, but he's a much more promising puck mover than Emelin ever was. So he could be a much better player.

Hopefully, he's gonna take less time than Emelin coming to the NHL

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Looking like a heck of a pick right now.

 

[Thebesthockey]

You mean the same Wilde, Andersson and Tychonick not playing for their respective country in the WJC?

Seriously, your hot takes not backed up by any facts are becoming tiresome.

you want facts about projected nhl players 5 years from now ?

i was aksed to drop names and see in 5 years

so now WJC is the measuring stick for nhl careers ?

 

[theslatcher]

I dunno but Andersson couldn't even crack Sweden's U20 roster this year.. whereas Romanov is already a top 2 defender for Russia (along with Alexeyev).

Much harder to crack Sweden's U20 roster as a dman than Russia's. Romanov is looking pretty good, though.

 

[member 147413]

Wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up better than Sandin

Lol give it time. It’s world juniors.

Sandin is producing against men in North America, Romanov is simply playing against them.

Romanov has been impressive in this kids tournament.

 

[Thebesthockey]

just dont see it, bad mix, at least not with the habs management with the semin, radulov , markov, emelin, sergachev, sherbak, galchenyuk* all of them having some recent issue/history say what you will,

russian player agents are an influential bunch these days

not a match made in heaven and pressure will be in the kid to stay in khl ( or at minimum ) bolt back...easily

 

[covfefe]

Classic - open up the Romanov thread - find Swedes and Leafs fans talking Sandin. f***ing classic

Lol give it time. It’s world juniors.

Sandin is producing against men in North America, Romanov is simply playing against them.

Romanov has been impressive in this kids tournament.

Sandin is playing against men because he was drafted on loan. Don't act like he is a step ahead because of a flaw in the transfer agreement. He's also an excellent prospect who I wanted at the draft, FYI.

just dont see it, bad mix, at least not with the habs management with the semin, radulov , markov, emelin, sergachev, sherbak, galchenyuk* all of them having some recent issue/history say what you will,

russian player agents are an influential bunch these days

not a match made in heaven and pressure will be in the kid to stay in khl ( or at minimum ) bolt back...easily

It's tiring reading your spitballing, throw-everything-at-the-wall approach; of course, once again informed by nothing grounded in reality

 

[member 147413]

Classic - open up the Romanov thread - find Swedes and Leafs fans talking Sandin. ****ing classic



Sandin is playing against men because he was drafted on loan. Don't act like he is a step ahead because of a flaw in the transfer agreement.



It's tiring reading your spitballing, throw-everything-at-the-wall approach; of course, once again informed by nothing grounded in reality

A Habs fans brought up Sandin. Not Swedish fans or Leafs fans. Swing and a miss there.

Sandin is playing against men because Leafs management felt it was best for his development. He had a lot of options, he’s not forced into a men’s league. He’s playing and producing at a high level as an 18 year old dman in the AHL.

 

[Hfbsux]

It's tiring reading your spitballing, throw-everything-at-the-wall approach; of course, once again informed by nothing grounded in reality

He's been constantly posting about hoe Kotkaniemi will be ruined by the habs management. Now that Romanov has success, it's him. When i point out his contributions to the subject and how his opinion is not biased at all, my comments get deleted. Frustrating really.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don't like his hockey IQ. Everything is too big and flashy. There's nothing quiet and efficient about how he plays. Big hits, big slap shots. That'll get noticed, but I find that his decision-making often isn't the best.

 

[Thebesthockey]

He's been constantly posting about hoe Kotkaniemi will be ruined by the habs management. Now that Romanov has success, it's him. When i point out his contributions to the subject and how his opinion is not biased at all, my comments get deleted. Frustrating really.

boo hoo