LW/RW Kirill Kaprizov (2015, 135th, MIN) - Part II

[57special]

He was very good last night. Adjusting to the pace and strength of the NHL is tough for any player, but he seemed to handle the transition seamlessly. What stuck out to me about him was his IQ. He seems to know just when to attack and exploit a scoring chance.

BTW, the ice last night was atrocious. I have never seen pucks stop on NHL ice like that. Partially explains KK's mishandling of the puck. Guys like Suter out and out whiffed on the puck a few times when trying to make a pass.

 

[Tap on the Ankle]

How was his first game?

Never seen him play before so I went in not knowing what to expect but obviously having some preconceived notions due to him being a small scoring forward.

He was all over the ice routinely beating guys with speed and hockey IQ and finding/creating space for himself and his teammates. Easily the most noticeable player for either team. Definitely not afraid to be lurking in front of the net for screens and rebounds. Great shot and crafty passes.

Obviously he got a little lucky on that OT goal, but he’s the kind of higher IQ player who ends up in the right place at the right time very often. Lucky breaks like that are just what happens for players like Kaprizov who are constantly involved in the play and making little things happen.

 

[Tenkkapoo]

Maybe. I thought you were getting at as a whole.
Kabanov was a player I played against that was as you described. Just never figured it out in NA

Yes, Kirill Kabanov is another "good" example here.

Kabanov and Evgeny Kuznetsov are both born in 1992. Kabanov was as good as Kuznetsov when they are 16-17 year olds. Kabanov left to North America to pursue his NHL dream at 16. Kuznetsov elected to stay in Russia for three more seasons. It didn't turn out well for Kabanov but Kuznetsov was pretty well off.

 

[Tenkkapoo]

He was putting up first round caliber numbers in the KHL during his draft year. He fell because he’s Russian and he was 5’9

I was walking about when he was 15-17 when top prospects usually get noticed.

 

[EHCler]

He was putting up first round caliber numbers in the KHL during his draft year. He fell because he’s Russian and he was 5’9

That would have made him drop to 2nd round.
The main reason he was a 5th rounder because he did not have to commitment to come to the NHL. It took the Wild 5 years to convince him to come over.
For most of that time he was the best prospect outside the NHL.

 

[blink]

Kaprizov was not a great prospect as a junior player.

Fifth round draft pick in the NHL.

Stays in Russia to develop his skills like Panarin, Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, Malkin etc. etc. before him did.

Develops into a star in Russia as Panarin did before.

Seems to be an instant success in the NHL as Panarin was.

Now let's take a look of those Russians who were great prospects as junior players and more talented than Kaprizov and Panarin.

They go to play junior hockey to North America, often as young as 15 or 16.

They bust out. Never reach their potential. They may "shine" in junior leagues but they seem to hit a wall when they get out of juniors.

They try a few years in the AHL but never make it to the NHL.

Some come back to Russia and try in the KHL but they usually fail there too. Soon their hockey career is over. They are damaged goods.

These idiot kids just don't learn to stay in Russia until they are ready. Russia must do something to stop this idiocy which is hurting Russian hockey more than anything right now, but they seem to lack the right people to do this.

Back to Kaprizov. What saved his career was that he was not good enough as a junior player to "pursue his NHL dream" playing junior hockey in North America. But this is incredibly sad that the only thing that can save a Russian hockey player's hockey career is a lack of talent as a junior player.

That's a pretty big generalization there. Kucherov came over and played NA junior hockey and has had a great career. You can't just lump all of these guys into one category. Each player is different.

 

[kyle44]

That's a pretty big generalization there. Kucherov came over and played NA junior hockey and has had a great career. You can't just lump all of these guys into one category. Each player is different.

Kucherov played less than half of a season of NA junior hockey. I wouldn't use him as a comparator.

 

[nickdawg95]

so this guys a beast

 

[57special]

Does every thread about a Russian hockey player have to have this debate? Can we just not talk about the player?

You guys must think that every Russian is the same, and that there is only one way for them to develop and prosper.

 

[blink]

Kucherov played less than half of a season of NA junior hockey. I wouldn't use him as a comparator.

Ok, then let's use Provorov, A. Svechnikov and Burmistrov as examples.

Provorov - 122 WHL games played, 56 USHL games played (not including playoffs)
A. Svechnikov - 44 OHL games played, 48 USHL games played (not including playoffs)
Burmistrov - 62 OHL games played (not including playoffs)

Provorov and Svechnikov look fine to me. Burmistrov never had the career people thought. Those things happen. The OP's assertion that playing Canadian/American junior hockey and it ruining Russian's careers isn't true. It comes down to the player.

Yakupov is another example and we all know he just wasn't as good as advertised. Would that have changed if he spent 4-5 seasons over in Russia before coming over? Maybe, but it's certainly not a guarantee.

I will say that for the top end Russian players overall, it does seem they are better off staying in Russia and then coming over to NHL. Really though, it comes down to each individual player.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Cringe aside this is how his name is pronounced. What rubs me the wrong way is that for whatever reason NA anouncers keep caling him Kaprisov instead of Kaprizov.

It's not.

The announcer is saying "Ka-rill"

But it's closer to "Key-reel" with the "r" rolled.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I give him a 9.5 out of 10 for his debut last night

I deducted a half a point for the ugly goal he scored lol... was hoping for a silky smooth goal but it turned into a weird, rare off the foot breakaway goal lol

All seriousness, the kid is a future star!

 

[Blue Ox]

He's a beast!

The Siberian Sasquatch!

Welcome to the USSA!

 

[Szechwan]

Does every thread about a Russian hockey player have to have this debate? Can we just not talk about the player?

You guys must think that every Russian is the same, and that there is only one way for them to develop and prosper.

Seriously, it's exhausting. Every single thread is the same. I don't even touch the podkolzin thread anymore because it's a wasteland of KHL fans getting angry whenever someone says Pod will come to NA soon.

 

[Atas2000]

It's not.

The announcer is saying "Ka-rill"

But it's closer to "Key-reel" with the "r" rolled.

I'm russian, I know. As I wrote I am more upset about the Kaprisov rather than the ususal pronounciation of "i" in russian names for English speakers.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Tarasenko scored two goals in his 1st game, but overall his 1st NHL season wasn't very good. He was almost 2 years younger, than Kirill, though. Panarin was 6 months older, than Kaprizov, scored a goal in his 1st game and won Calder.

Oh, and Kucherov scored a goal in his 1st NHL game as well. None of them looked as good as Kaprizov, though. So if he happens to be somewhere between Tarasenko (the worst of the bunch) and Kucherov (the best), it won't be that bad.

 

[Fantomas]

It's not.

The announcer is saying "Ka-rill"

But it's closer to "Key-reel" with the "r" rolled.

Russians don't roll their r's.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[blindpass]

One accidental assist AND one accidental goal in his first game...must be a record, too.

Did you watch the whole game or just the highlights?

 

[blindpass]

Calder and top 10 on points

Yes (likely) and no (probably not).

 

[blindpass]

This need to be "spammed" again and again and again as long as these kids keep leaving too early.

I'm happy to entertain the possibility that it is somehow disastrous to Russian hockey player development to come to NA too soon. It just needs a much better case than the ones I've seen which just don't work.

It makes sense that the players that do come to NA get over-rated by scouts relative to those that don't because they get more views and have done something to dispel the stigma that the might never come over. All in all the arguments just seem like motivated reasoning to me -- I get it, you'd rather have your great players stay at home and in your leagues as long as possible and that's understandable.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Yes, Kirill Kabanov is another "good" example here.

Kabanov and Evgeny Kuznetsov are both born in 1992. Kabanov was as good as Kuznetsov when they are 16-17 year olds. Kabanov left to North America to pursue his NHL dream at 16. Kuznetsov elected to stay in Russia for three more seasons. It didn't turn out well for Kabanov but Kuznetsov was pretty well off.

That was almost entirely due to Kabanov having an awful, awful attitude and injury issues. This wasn't because of NA not being able to develop him. The ~20 games he played in the Q isnt what made him go from a 1st overall pick to 3rd round.

 

[nbwingsfan]

That's a pretty big generalization there. Kucherov came over and played NA junior hockey and has had a great career. You can't just lump all of these guys into one category. Each player is different.

He also seems to ignore the Russians who stayed in Russia and busted too...

 

[Gsus]

Just watched a 2min highlights of him last night. I thought this has to be one of the best debuts in a long time in the NHL. He looked he belongs, and much more.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Cringe aside this is how his name is pronounced. What rubs me the wrong way is that for whatever reason NA anouncers keep caling him Kaprisov instead of Kaprizov.

What is the difference in the pronunciation of Kaprisov vs Kaprizov?

It seems at some point the announcers are defaulting to Capri Sun.