RW Nikolai Kovalenko (2018, 171st, COL)

Zine

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
11,988
1,828
Rostov-on-Don
As usual, Russian teams are the ones most serious about this tournament, and use 99 born players

Every team is dressing 1999s except for Modo and Trinec.
But, yeah, Loko is dressing some junior players who likely wont play too much in the MHL this year (Denisenko, Kovalenko, Slepets, Anokhovsky.)
I dont know if this applies to other teams as well.
 
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cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
60,340
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w/ Renly's Peach
He wants to follow in his fathers footsteps who was a former Nordique draft pick and Avs, can’t get any closer than that! You never know of course but I wouldn’t say it’s a large concern.

It'll only be an issue if he ends up a pure bottom-6er in the NHL rather than a middle-6er who gets some time 3rd-wheeling on a scoring line, or even a legit top-6er. If that's where his development peaks then him staying in the KHL or returning-quickly, rather than grinding out a middling career in NA, would be more of a concern.

But if he develops well and deserves better opportunities than that, he'll come over sooner or later.
 
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Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
Since the draft he has not dissapointed. Great pickup for Colorado at draft day, great prospect to have now. Pedigree is sometimes a great thing. He and Romanov seem to pick up all the right things from dad and granddad respectively.
 

Sticktape

Registered User
Jan 25, 2017
825
794
17 points in 38 games so far this year. Don't generally see production like that from a player his age in the KHL. What kind of upside does this player have?
 

Gardiner Expressway

Registered User
Dec 1, 2011
875
23
17 points in 38 games so far this year. Don't generally see production like that from a player his age in the KHL. What kind of upside does this player have?

The cumulative 0.45ppg isn't bad - 28th for U21 seasons in KHL last decade (10+ gms).

More interesting if you look at his splits... He started with 5pts in 23gms so that's 12pts in his last 15gms (or 0.8ppg)... A 0.8ppg for the full season would be 7th on that U21 list alongside some good company.

NameSeasonTmGPGATPPPG
Vladimir Tarasenko (RW)2011-2012totals542324470.87
Kirill Kaprizov (LW/RW)2017-2018CSKA Moskva461525400.87
Yevgeni Kuznetsov (C)2012-2013Traktor Chelyabinsk511925440.86
Kirill Kaprizov (LW/RW)2016-2017Salavat Yulaev Ufa492022420.86
Yevgeni Kuznetsov (C)2011-2012Traktor Chelyabinsk491922410.84
Nail Yakupov (RW/LW)2012-2013Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk2299180.82
Anatoli Golyshev (LW/RW)2015-2016Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg562519440.79
Eeli Tolvanen (LW/RW)2017-2018Jokerit491917360.73
Yevgeni Kuznetsov (C)2010-2011Traktor Chelyabinsk441715320.73
Nikolai Prokhorkin (C)2013-2014CSKA Moskva521918370.71
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
It feels to me like a pretty concrete shift toward a top notch U21 scoring rate.... Kovalenko's ice time is up and he's shooting in every game now (along with a pair of 6shot games) - but it is of course early and a small sample.

The fun is in the watching, waiting and guessing I suppose :)
 
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