RW Nikolai Kovalenko (2018, 171st, COL)

[Atas2000]

He sure is starting a bit slow, but the team is actually stacked. Young players getting mature, more chemistry for last season's additions vets.

 

[Hasbro]

Good shot for him coming over next year. Calvert, Saad, Bellmare are on expiring deals and Landeskog, Makar and Grubauer’s potential raises will eat up a lot of cap so a player on an ELC will be valuable.

The Avalanche also might be a contender.

 

[SoundAndFury]

He sure is starting a bit slow, but the team is actually stacked. Young players getting mature, more chemistry for last season's additions vets.

Numbers-wise, maybe. But on the ice, he has looked really good. Definitely not disappointing in that sense.

 

[Atas2000]

Numbers-wise, maybe. But on the ice, he has looked really good. Definitely not disappointing in that sense.

I am not worried

 

[Caser]

 

[Caser]

 

[Caser]

Assist and goal Vs Czech Republic today:





Was one of the best players of the tournament I think.

 

[Caser]

Signed for 2 years with Ak Bars after they made an offer sheet and Lokomotiv didn't match.

 

[Caser]

Started scoring for Ak Bars.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

If he starts scoring for Ak and he keeps going, you have to think he will come over after his contract,no ?

 

[Caser]

Setup here:

 

[Atas2000]

If he starts scoring for Ak and he keeps going, you have to think he will come over after his contract,no ?

The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.

He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.

 

[Caser]

The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.

He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.

This thread is full of his rather high-quality passes, I don't think someone with a tunnel vision can do that.

 

[Captain Clutch]

The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.

He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.

Were you somehow under the impression that he was a Mitch Marner style playmaking winger?

 

[Atas2000]

This thread is full of his rather high-quality passes, I don't think someone with a tunnel vision can do that.

That's the problem with highlights. I wasn't watching that much of him before too for obvious reasons. Now that he is on AkBars I have the opportunity to watch a lot of full games of his. A pass on a PP or just a pass here and there don't redeem bunches of times when he would just skate in straight lines with the puck not creating anything. Voronkov's meager 2 ponits so far are in big parts due to that. While Voronkov is +1 and Kovalenko with -1 well in the bottom half of the team's +/- stat. So Kovalenko is nothing to write home about defensively, his offence is reduced to shooting a lot, but those are mostly low quality shots from bad angles. His points for AkBArs so far are nothing spectacular. Part of it MIGHT be Kvartalnov's dumb-n-dumber system, but I more and more see Kovalenko as a guy who won't grow into anything rally valuable because he lacks that vision.

In my book he is well behind Panyukov as an offseason addition.

 

[Atas2000]

Were you somehow under the impression that he was a Mitch Marner style playmaking winger?

It's you who is exxagerating here not me. He is still a prospect and a couple of years back one could expect improvemnt from him and maybe top 6 potential while obviously he was never considered a first round talent. At this age I just wanted to point out to the HF community what his development looks like so far. It's not very promising by now and I am not too happy he is on my team.

 

[Caser]

That's the problem with highlights. I wasn't watching that much of him before too for obvious reasons. Now that he is on AkBars I have the opportunity to watch a lot of full games of his. A pass on a PP or just a pass here and there don't redeem bunches of times when he would just skate in straight lines with the puck not creating anything. Voronkov's meager 2 ponits so far are in big parts due to that. While Voronkov is +1 and Kovalenko with -1 well in the bottom half of the team's +/- stat. So Kovalenko is nothing to write home about defensively, his offence is reduced to shooting a lot, but those are mostly low quality shots from bad angles. His points for AkBArs so far are nothing spectacular. Part of it MIGHT be Kvartalnov's dumb-n-dumber system, but I more and more see Kovalenko as a guy who won't grow into anything rally valuable because he lacks that vision.

In my book he is well behind Panyukov as an offseason addition.

It's not like I watch only highlights, two years ago it was Kovalenko, who was the main reason for Kayumov's 16 goals, that's what I've seen, so it's hard for me to imagine that suddenly his vision deteriorated that much. With that being said I didn't have a chance to watch him for Ak Bars full-time yet, not to mention that judging by the reports everyone is dead there except, suddenly, Kagarlitskiy, so maybe Kvartalnov just decided to go hardcore Krikunov-style in the offseason.

 

[Atas2000]

It's not like I watch only highlights, two years ago it was Kovalenko, who was the main reason for Kayumov's 16 goals, that's what I've seen, so it's hard for me to imagine that suddenly his vision deteriorated that much. With that being said I didn't have a chance to watch him for Ak Bars full-time yet, not to mention that judging by the reports everyone is dead there except, suddenly, Kagarlitskiy, so maybe Kvartalnov just decided to go hardcore Krikunov-style in the offseason.

It is really not everyone is dead. It's Kvartalnov's brain that is dead. I've followed his progress for obvious reasons. He was a coach who could not spell defence when he took over AkBars. He got spanked for it pretty bad. So he tried to figure this one out and he did. The team is really playing some structured defence by now. I don't know if it's Kvartalnov or an assistant was given the reins to organize the D. The usual goaltending mess and lack of personell on D is not helping, but it's not a sieve. But Kvartalnov seems to be not able to solve more than one problem at a time. Without his pure run and gun style the offence became toothless as F. as they are getting less support from defencemen who are not falling back earlier and don't pinch like madmen. Three forwards who are constantly storming the fort without a plan just waste a lot of energy and create useless shots. The PP being a blackhole(another Kvartalnov feat) does not help.

He has the players to play it differently. Voronkov, Kagarlitsky, Panyukov can play the skilled game. Linholm and Weal don't look like total scrubs. Heck, even Zaripov could still contribute if allowed to play his game and not what Kvartalnov wants. It is painfully obvious though in games what the orders are. Kvartalnov is wasting talent on his style of play. There are coaches who have at least a long leash approach with the top line guys. Not Kvartalnov.

As for Kovalenko I too expected more and more smarts from him. Right now he plays the Nail Yakupov style to perfection. He has the basic tools to get some points here and there, but I doubt he will be able to carry any substantial load on a contender. Most frustrating to watch on the team right now.

 

[Caser]

 

[Captain Clutch]

It's you who is exxagerating here not me. He is still a prospect and a couple of years back one could expect improvemnt from him and maybe top 6 potential while obviously he was never considered a first round talent. At this age I just wanted to point out to the HF community what his development looks like so far. It's not very promising by now and I am not too happy he is on my team.

Top 6? In what league? He was never going to be top 6 in the NHL, that's for sure. I think there was a small chance that he could make it as a bottom 6 grinder who might occasionally chip in a very little bit of offense but whose job was mostly depended upon to be difficult to play against and physical with a very high compete level. He was drafted 171st overall, the end of the 6th round, so he was always a long shot to make the NHL. I doubt he ever comes to the U.S. but the fact that he's not producing points on a very average Ak Bars team should not be a surprise to anyone.

 

[Atas2000]

Top 6? In what league? He was never going to be top 6 in the NHL, that's for sure. I think there was a small chance that he could make it as a bottom 6 grinder who might occasionally chip in a very little bit of offense but whose job was mostly depended upon to be difficult to play against and physical with a very high compete level. He was drafted 171st overall, the end of the 6th round, so he was always a long shot to make the NHL. I doubt he ever comes to the U.S. but the fact that he's not producing points on a very average Ak Bars team should not be a surprise to anyone.

Very average?

You seem to not realize that players like Kovalenko are top six or nothing. Using him on the bottom six is absurd. He always was a longshot, but he has produced as a very young prospect in the KHL. He is just not taking a step to the next level.

I very effing don't care where the NHL drafts Russians. They are just bad at it.

Right now among NHL's top5 earners Russia vs NA:

Russian skaters:
One 1OA, one 2OA(while those obviously are Ovechkin and Malkin drafted in the same year), a late 2nd rounder, a 5th rounder and a undrafted player who is the top earner.

NA skaters:
Three 1OAs, one 3OA, one 4OA. Runnerup is a 1OA.

Using a NHL draft pick as indication when evaluating russian prospects is just not working.

 

[SoundAndFury]

but the fact that he's not producing points on a very average Ak Bars team should not be a surprise to anyone.

This is puzzling, to say the least. You do realize Ak Bars is the team with most KHL titles, right?

I also don't quite see the reasons to doubt he comes to the NA. His style is very well suited for the NHL and his play in the KHL is by no means bad for a prospect his age.

 

[Caser]

Got a goal and a primary assist today:

 

[tigervixxxen]

The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.

He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.

That’s Jared Bednar catnip, that’s precisely why Kovalenko would do well in the Avs system. They just gave that dude in Logan O’Connor a three year extension after playing 43 career NHL games. Avs fans aren’t hoping for a top 6 player, we just want someone so they don’t sign the next Darren Helm.

I’ve always loved Kovalenko’s game, that brand of tenacity is hard to find, and yes I’ve even watched full KHL games. His father was drafted by and played for the Nordiques and Avalanche. Nikolai very much wants to emulate his father’s career which is why I think he’s gonna give it a shot at some point still.

 

[Caser]