Slava Voynov

[Rod Buskas*]

How good has he been ? I say that sarcastically, since I think he's been brilliant. He's been our best D offensively. He's so agressive and does a much better job than Drew of getting pucks through to the net. Defensively he's stepped up majorly. His upper body strength is underrated.

What's his ceiling ?

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[KingLB]

People like him right now cause he is scoring. But ultimately I think he still struggles with size defensively and will always need a partner that is atleast good to real good to be paired with in order to have success. Him and Amart get dominated at times in the cycle. Still think Amart should be paired with DD and Skuds with VV. Would open up both pairs....hell even DD44 with Slava wouldn't be bad and you could then put Skuds with Muzzin and balance the mins better.

 

[HookKing]

People like him right now cause he is scoring. But ultimately I think he still struggles with size defensively and will always need a partner that is atleast good to real good to be paired with in order to have success. Him and Amart get dominated at times in the cycle. Still think Amart should be paired with DD and Skuds with VV. Would open up both pairs....hell even DD44 with Slava wouldn't be bad and you could then put Skuds with Muzzin and balance the mins better.

Nicely said.

 

[damacles1156]

In Soviet Russia, Slava ownz YOU!!!

 

[KingKopitar11*]

His problem to me he has trouble getting used to the pace of things. He is smart and I think he will make much less mistakes as he develops cause everything else is fine about him except his sometimes slow decision making which ultimately leads to turn overs I think if he gets more comfortable with game transition and decision he'd be willing a solid top 3

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Can he be as good as Mike Green offensively?

 

[Herby]

Can he be as good as Mike Green offensively?

Not even close. Atleast not the pre-injury Mike Green.

Slava should be a fixture as a 2nd pairing puck rushing d-man who plays a key role on the PP.

He can really fire the puck, and has great instincts when to jump into the play at ES and especially on the PP.

 

[kingsfan]

Offensively speaking, how does Voynov upside compare to Zhitnik during his prime?

 

[etherialone]

Offensively speaking, how does Voynov upside compare to Zhitnik during his prime?

It was a different era/style of hockey, more fluid open ice play.

That said VV looks for O opportunities more than Z did. Z was a very physical player who looked at playing D and hitting first and then O when the opportunity presented itself. Both are good at each discipline but they had different styles of play to me.

 

[johnjm22]

People like him right now cause he is scoring. But ultimately I think he still struggles with size defensively and will always need a partner that is atleast good to real good to be paired with in order to have success. Him and Amart get dominated at times in the cycle. Still think Amart should be paired with DD and Skuds with VV. Would open up both pairs....hell even DD44 with Slava wouldn't be bad and you could then put Skuds with Muzzin and balance the mins better.

I think it's too early to make that statement. He's still very new. The guy has basically only played the equivalent of one NHL season.

Not even close. Atleast not the pre-injury Mike Green.

Mike Green stats were inflated because of the system he played in (just like everyone else on that team). Slava would put up big numbers there too.

 

[kingsfan]

Mike Green stats were inflated because of the system he played in (just like everyone else on that team). Slava would put up big numbers there too.

Maybe they were inflated, but I don't think Voynov would be putting up a point per game either in that system like Green did. Green's offensive upsde pre-injury (and likely post-injury as well) is higher.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Voynov's play away from the puck has improved considerably. He's a smart player who continues to show improvement, and I would hope that his commitment to play in the NHL will be rewarded with a long term deal.

 

[driller1]

Better than Tyler Myers!!!!

Looking back at the 2008 draft, how many D-men would you rather have?

DD. Pietrangelo. Eric Karlson.

And then... ???

Bogo, MDZ, Luke Schenn, John Carlson, Sbisa, Josi, Myers are all in the second tier. The homer in me would put Slava up in there at the top of the second tier based on current play (realizing there are others who have more games played).

Kings did well to get 2 Top 4 D from one draft.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Better than Tyler Myers!!!!

I also believe because of Slava that the Kings D got better when JJ was traded.

Slava is teh awesome sauce!

 

[johnjm22]

Maybe they were inflated, but I don't think Voynov would be putting up a point per game either in that system like Green did. Green's offensive upsde pre-injury (and likely post-injury as well) is higher.

I didn't say that VV was as good as Green offensively, but I don't think Green is in another stratosphere from him either.

In Green's first two NHL seasons he averaged .16 points per game. Voynov, through two NHL seasons is averaging .37 points per game.

 

[Ron*]

The guy is nails.

 

[Muzzinga]

Give him more pp time please

 

[kingsfan]

Better than Tyler Myers!!!!

Looking back at the 2008 draft, how many D-men would you rather have?

DD. Pietrangelo. Eric Karlson.

And then... ???

Bogo, MDZ, Luke Schenn, John Carlson, Sbisa, Josi, Myers are all in the second tier. The homer in me would put Slava up in there at the top of the second tier based on current play (realizing there are others who have more games played).

Kings did well to get 2 Top 4 D from one draft.

For now, I'd still put Myers ahead of him, and definately Carlson. He's very underrated. Del Zotto would be an interesting debate. The rest, yeah, I'd take Voynov over. Schenn I like, but he's way overrated. That happens when you are an 18-year-old cracking the Toronto roster.

I didn't say that VV was as good as Green offensively

No, but you implied it.

In Green's first two NHL seasons he averaged .16 points per game. Voynov, through two NHL seasons is averaging .37 points per game.

Let's not twist things here. According to you, his first NHL season is 2005-2006 when he actually only played 22 games and was in the minors for the rest of the season. If you want to go based on his first two FULL NHL seasons, which would be more accurate of the number you stated, he had a ppg average of .45

Also of note, Voynov was getting 18:32 in ice time last year per game (his rookie year) while Mike Green was getting 15:29 in his first full NHL season.

 

[SLang]

Voynov's been great but I don't really like the comparison to Doughty, who's playing 50% more TOI and against the opposition's best for the most part.

Both of them are doing well - thank god for them, Scuderi and Martinez right now.

 

[johnjm22]

No, but you implied it.

No I didn't. You misinterpreted it.

Let's not twist things here. According to you, his first NHL season is 2005-2006 when he actually only played 22 games and was in the minors for the rest of the season. If you want to go based on his first two FULL NHL seasons, which would be more accurate of the number you stated, he had a ppg average of .45

Also of note, Voynov was getting 18:32 in ice time last year per game (his rookie year) while Mike Green was getting 15:29 in his first full NHL season.

In Mike Green's first full NHL season (06-07), he averaged .17 points per game, while receiving more Power Play TOI per game than Voynov, and while playing for a team that averaged 2.85 GPG. Green produced 1 point for every 90 minutes and 20 seconds of TOI.

In Voynov's first full NHL season (11-12), he averaged .37 points per game, while receiving slightly less Power Play TOI per game than Green, and while playing for a team that averaged only 2.07 GPG. Voynov produced 1 point for every 50 minutes ice time.

Does this mean that VV is as good, or better than Green offensively? No, because stats don't tell the whole story and can't account for all the variables. For instance, Voynov was slightly older, and had more time to develop in the AHL before coming to the NHL.

These stats do give a little bit of perspective however, and show that comparing the two isn't as ridiculous as Herby made it out to be.

When Voynov peaks, I think he'll be one of the top PMD's in the NHL. When Green "peaked" (assuming his best days are behind him), he was the most offensively productive defenseman in the NHL by a significant margin. I don't think Voynov will get to that level, but I do think he's capable of being in the top 5 or 10.

 

[Reclamation Project]

I'm loving his play so far.

 

[kingsfan]

No I didn't. You misinterpreted it.

Yeah, surrreeee.

In Mike Green's first full NHL season (06-07), he averaged .17 points per game, while receiving more Power Play TOI per game than Voynov, and while playing for a team that averaged 2.85 GPG. Green produced 1 point for every 90 minutes and 20 seconds of TOI.

In Voynov's first full NHL season (11-12), he averaged .37 points per game, while receiving slightly less Power Play TOI per game than Green, and while playing for a team that averaged only 2.07 GPG. Voynov produced 1 point for every 50 minutes ice time.

Does this mean that VV is as good, or better than Green offensively? No, because stats don't tell the whole story and can't account for all the variables. For instance, Voynov was slightly older, and had more time to develop in the AHL before coming to the NHL.

These stats do give a little bit of perspective however, and show that comparing the two isn't as ridiculous as Herby made it out to be.

When Voynov peaks, I think he'll be one of the top PMD's in the NHL. When Green "peaked" (assuming his best days are behind him), he was the most offensively productive defenseman in the NHL by a significant margin. I don't think Voynov will get to that level, but I do think he's capable of being in the top 5 or 10.

Without re-looking the stats up, the PP time in their rookie seasons is basically the same, with Green I think getting an extra three seconds per game, so it's not even worth mentioning there is a difference, because really, there isn't.

That said, I will concede that Voynov's production looks better on a minute-by-minute basis. It's far more impressive than I originally thought. However, if we go back to the original point made by Herby, it's in reference to Green's numbers at his prime (assuming he's past that) and there is nothing to suggest Voynov has the offensive upside Green had coming out of junior, nor following his minor league career. Outside of a solid 2010-2011 season, Voynov's numbers are rather low for the offensive upside you project.

I guess it's all a mute point, as I'd love for him to score at that level, I just see his maximum level as a 35-50 point guy, similar to Zhitnik in terms of overall production. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[KINGS17]

Voynov will never be the defender that Doughty is, because he isn't as physical as Doughty. I think his decision-making is constantly improving and his positional play is much better than when he first joined the Kings.

The kid knows when to join the rush or jump into a hole in the offensive zone.

Definitely would like to see Dean get him signed to something like a 3-4 year deal when his contract is up.

 

[Rorschach]

He leads all Kings defensemen in puck possession time! Which may not be a good thing...

JK, I love the kid and consider him part of that crazy first round D draft class in 2008 who fell due to "Russian-ness".

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Great pic, someone need to dig up that picture of him from a few years ago. Pure gold.