Prospect Info: Round 4, Pick 104: Mikhail Vorobyov, C, Tolpar Ufa (MHL --> KHL)

[Striiker]

And those intangibles.

 

[deadhead]

If you’re talking purely how low the lows were, it’s probably Betts, which is a shame given that he obviously wasn’t always that bad. The Relative numbers are staggeringly poor.

Unless you want to specify the worst player to suit up for even 1 Game. Then it’s either Goulbourne or Jesse Boulerice depending on your cutoff date. Boulerice was the worst though. Pretty sure of that.

Reason I used 400 minutes was b/c there are always below replacement players who dress for short periods due to injury or tryouts - but if you play 400+ minutes you can have a significant impact on a season, that's a regular shift for at least half the games.

Raw xGF is limited, but anytime you put up xGF under 40% you be bad, really bad.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Reason I used 400 minutes was b/c there are always below replacement players who dress for short periods due to injury or tryouts - but if you play 400+ minutes you can have a significant impact on a season, that's a regular shift for at least half the games.

Raw xGF is limited, but anytime you put up xGF under 40% you be bad, really bad.

All of that is completely fair, but I have to say that I was wrong. Betts got horrendously awful usage, so while it was still bad, it was probably a step better than I thought.

It’s Rinaldo. He had a year here with a -21.9% Isolated Offensive Impact on HockeyViz. I didn’t know that was possible. Lehtera’s worst here by the same metric was -9.4% for some idea of scale.

 

[Striiker]

All of that is completely fair, but I have to say that I was wrong. Betts got horrendously awful usage, so while it was still bad, it was probably a step better than I thought.

It’s Rinaldo. He had a year here with a -21.9% Isolated Offensive Impact on HockeyViz. I didn’t know that was possible. Lehtera’s worst here by the same metric was -9.4% for some idea of scale.

And we got a 3rd round pick for him.

Hextall was some kind of wizard.

 

[Starat327]

And we got a 3rd round pick for him.

Hextall was some kind of wizard.

Worst GM of the flyers existence, according to some.

 

[Striiker]

Worst GM of the flyers existence, according to some.

There was some very bad parts but also a ton of great parts.

If he would've just fired Hak...

 

[freakydallas13]

The only NHL game I have ever seen live was the one game Boulerice played in

At least the Flyers crushed the Canucks in that game.

Edit: Apparently he played in 8 games for the Flyers, and a bunch for the Canes and Oilers. I definitely saw he last game as a Flyer though.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

The only NHL game I have ever seen live was the one game Boulerice played in

At least the Flyers crushed the Canucks in that game.

Edit: Apparently he played in 8 games for the Flyers, and a bunch for the Canes and Oilers. I definitely saw he last game as a Flyer though.

What a game to attend as your sole live experience! I was there, too. Aside from the blowout, Richie scored a shorty on a 5-on-3... and Boulerice earned his lengthy suspension with his awful crosscheck to Kesler.

It was the Flyers' first game in Vancouver after the season that shall not be named. Was very encouraging and signalled what would become a fun team to watch for the next ~5 years.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hagg has to be close to the top of that list too.

Hagg has had actual legitimate solid games on occasion which is more than those two can claim.

 

[Beef Invictus]

All of that is completely fair, but I have to say that I was wrong. Betts got horrendously awful usage, so while it was still bad, it was probably a step better than I thought.

It’s Rinaldo. He had a year here with a -21.9% Isolated Offensive Impact on HockeyViz. I didn’t know that was possible. Lehtera’s worst here by the same metric was -9.4% for some idea of scale.

I left Rinaldo out of my consideration because he at least had a year where he drew a decent amount of penalties and we had a fire PP. Which is more than Cote and Stewart can claim.

That season of being useful in one specific area was a fluke though.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Poor Betts shredded whatever was holding his body together in that 09-10 season, but that remains my favorite 4th line. Always pour one out for the Human Cannonball, Powe

 

[Striiker]

Hagg has had actual legitimate solid games on occasion which is more than those two can claim.

 

[The Madrigal]

Poor Betts shredded whatever was holding his body together in that 09-10 season, but that remains my favorite 4th line. Always pour one out for the Human Cannonball, Powe

Breaking news, we agree on something. I loved Powe. I'll take a guy like him who might not be the biggest/most skilled but plays balls to the wall at all times for my 4th line any day.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Breaking news, we agree on something. I loved Powe. I'll take a guy like him who might not be the biggest/most skilled but plays balls to the wall at all times for my 4th line any day.

Dude could actually read the play well enough to defend and also to hit effectively.

 

[BritainStix]

Worst GM of the flyers existence, according to some.

Who? I don't think anyone has ever made that statement on these boards

 

[freakydallas13]

What a game to attend as your sole live experience! I was there, too. Aside from the blowout, Richie scored a shorty on a 5-on-3... and Boulerice earned his lengthy suspension with his awful crosscheck to Kesler.

It was the Flyers' first game in Vancouver after the season that shall not be named. Was very encouraging and signalled what would become a fun team to watch for the next ~5 years.

That 5 on 3 goal was absolutely electric. It was 1 of 2 that year he scored while 2 men down if my memory serves.

 

[freakydallas13]

Poor Betts shredded whatever was holding his body together in that 09-10 season, but that remains my favorite 4th line. Always pour one out for the Human Cannonball, Powe

The Betts-Powe-Lappy 4th line was the best 4th line I've seen on the flyers in my lifetime.

 

[rinaldo]

The Betts-Powe-Lappy 4th line was the best 4th line I've seen on the flyers in my lifetime.

3 dan line....

 

[Alex K]

Misha gave a big interview in Russia.
Михаил Воробьев – о возвращении в «Салават», целях на сезон и НХЛ
I translated the parts about the NHL. I did my best

Q: What did you want while negotiating contract?
A: Not much, just a good 3-year contract. Because the next three years I'd like to spend in Russia in my native team.

Q: Why exactly three years? Was it your want or the organisation's?
A: I want to spend three years in Russia. I think I will benefit from it. The organisation didn't mind about the term. It was my condition, that I want to be in the team for three years.

Q: How do you see your hockey future? Are you still open for the NHL?
A: I'm planning on returning to the NHL. There's an understatement. Maybe it wasn't me who didn't make it, but I just wasn't given a chance to show what I'm capable of.

Q: Who or what prevented you from showing yourself?
A: I think I was given a bit of a wrong role. I was put in situations I had never played before. I had to learn all over again, and coaches didn't like that I hadn't been better than others in some components. Thus they were dissatisfied.

Q: In what role do you see yourself in the NHL?
A: I think I can become a top-9 forward.

Q: Is it if you're trusted more or your strengths are used more properly?
A: I can play in PP and PK. But I have a hard time backchecking and playing without the puck. There's an old saying that the best defense is a good offense. If you keep the puck, you don't have to play defense. I'm sticking to playing with the puck more.

Q: Which component of the game you improved most in America?
A: I stand stronger on my feet, improved my balance and body checking.

 

[flyersjim73]

Misha gave a big interview in Russia.
Михаил Воробьев – о возвращении в «Салават», целях на сезон и НХЛ
I translated the parts about the NHL. I did my best

Q: Is it if you're trusted more or your strengths are used more properly?
A: I can play in PP and PK. But I have a hard time backchecking and playing without the puck. There's an old saying that the best defense is a good offense. If you keep the puck, you don't have to play defense. I'm sticking to playing with the puck more.

Thanks for the article/translation Alex.

While there’s certainly some merit to playing more with the puck, if he simply tries to hold onto the puck more instead of actually improving his backchecking and playing without the puck he will never touch NHL ice again. Really seems like he didn’t learn a lesson that he should have learned while he was here.

 

[TCTC]

Seems like Yakupov syndrome. A player who thinks he's better than he actually is. He'll never be a top 9 player in the NHL if he isn't willing to work on his weaknesses.

 

[Striiker]

He’s right that the best defense is a good offense, but I hope he’s not thinking that means he doesn’t need to try to get better defensively and can strictly worry about offense.

Regardless, he’s right that he was never used right but it’s interesting that it sounds like he wants to come back in a few years. I don’t know if he expects a new coaching staff to be here or something but I doubt that happens very much. I think this ship has sailed.

 

[rinaldo]

He’s right that the best defense is a good offense, but I hope he’s not thinking that means he doesn’t need to try to get better defensively and can strictly worry about offense.

Regardless, he’s right that he was never used right but it’s interesting that it sound like he wants to come back in a few years. I don’t know if he expects a new coaching staff to be here or something but I doubt that happens very much. I think this ship has sailed.

Yep never used properly. Flyers are famous for not utilizing theirplayers and burying them.

Was there any prospect who was used properly and just wasn’t good enough in your eyes?

 

[tymed]

K those quotes are hilarious, later Misha.

It's always easy for an organization when tweeners weed themselves out with victim-hood mentality, weak character, and weak frame of logic.

We don't need him now and won't need him in 3 years.

 

[Appleyard]

K those quotes are hilarious, later Misha.

It's always easy for an organization when tweeners weed themselves out with victim-hood mentality, weak character, and weak frame of logic.

We don't need him now and won't need him in 3 years.

It is worth bearing in mind the cultural differences. In Russian press athletes are a lot more open and direct in general than in the USA, Canada... and even western and central Europe. You could read 100 transcripts of Russian guys from different sports and 75% would come off as "arrogant" if they encountered "negative" questioning.

Now even still some are pretty blunt even asking my ex to interpret them... but the difference does amplify the comments I think.