Which KHL players would have success in the NHL?

habsrule4eva3089

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Nov 22, 2008
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Honest list please, would be interesting to see which players everyone thinks would be able to have success if given the right opportunity to perform.

Don't mention the obvious two in Kovy and Radulov, I mean more like,
How would a Mozyakhin do playing significant minutes when up against the likes of the top defensemen in the game. In what role would Plotnikov succeed in? Examples like those.

Would be interesting to see what others think!
 

ViD

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Apr 21, 2007
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hard to say until seeing them play in the NHL...

you have guys like Pavelski who is a stud in the NHL playing fairly average in KHL or guys like Dallman who was a fringe player in the NHL turned out to be a star in the KHL..
 

alko

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Oct 20, 2004
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IMO the goalies are good also for NHL.
Koseckin, Koskinen, Kolesnik, Galimov, Leighton ...

Some on them we saw in NHL few years ago and yes, they numbers were bad. But now they have more confidence, more experience and more skills.
 

Peter25

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Sep 20, 2003
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Radulov and Kovalchuk for sure.

The others are hard to say. You never know who would pan out. Anton Belov was not good in the NHL but Nikita Nikitin has made a career for himself there.

Cervenka and Thoresen could probably play in the NHL. Tikhonov too. Panarin could be a good NHL players if he bulks up. Chudinov probably could play for some NHL teams as an offensive dman.

Sobotka is clearly NHL level player.
 

Kshahdoo

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Mar 23, 2008
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Burmistrov, Panarin, perhaps Dadonov. These guys are young and skillful. As too bulking, as though there are no players in the NHL which aren't built as tanks. Nugent-Hopkins is 6'1 180, Gaudreau is 5'9 150, and they call him Johnny Hockey. Panarin with his skating and hands could be a pretty good NHLer. I think Pens could sign him, they won't find a better winger in the NHL.
 

Atas2000

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Jan 18, 2011
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Radulov and Kovalchuk for sure.

The others are hard to say. You never know who would pan out. Anton Belov was not good in the NHL but Nikita Nikitin has made a career for himself there.

Cervenka and Thoresen could probably play in the NHL. Tikhonov too. Panarin could be a good NHL players if he bulks up. Chudinov probably could play for some NHL teams as an offensive dman.

Sobotka is clearly NHL level player.

Belov was on the wrong team to have a fair chance to adapt. He would be a servicable D-man somewhere in the NHL. I don't consider him a star in the KHL too.
 

Atas2000

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Jan 18, 2011
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Surprized about some not obvious nominations in the thread.

There are some guys without question marks(I leave aside the too obvious choices like Kovy, Radu and Sobotka).

Zaripov is easily a star in the NHL even now and he's considered past his prime a bit.

I don't like Mozyakin's personality, but he's also easily suited for the NHL.

Plotnikov, Shipachyov, Panarin and Tikhonov are through some development and would fit in now.

Homer picks: S.Kostitsyn obviously, Möller, Burmistrov, Malykhin, Mirnov. Svitov, Petrov and Varnakov because of their style of play could fit in on a bottom 6 I think.

Yes, I do think all those AkBars guys could play in the NHL. And yes we have a stacked offensive roster by KHL standards this season.

Stapleton was an okay NHLer. No star of course.

Aaltonen is the "finnish enigma". I don't know everything about his issues, but probably has the talent and it will be interesting to see him in the KHL full-time.

Guys like Kapanen and Immonen probably could have a role in the NHL too. Well, again kind of homer picks, but I know the players well enough.

Hartikainen - another victim of the Oilers. Probably could develop into a full-time NHLer in a different system.

Wolski obviously.

Shirokov on a good year. S.Kalinin.

Prokhorkin.

Indrasis will probably give it a try soon too.

A clean Zherdev.

Ponikarovskiy, Lisin, Kokarev, Pestushko.

These are the guys I think really will fit in. There are tons of bubble-players. Might work out or not. Also there are players I do not watch often enough to evaluate properly.

There is also a bunch of young guys drafted and undrafted by the NHL who are playing in the KHL already or will be playing this season who have the potential.

The D is a different story. There are very different requirements for a defenceman on bigger ice. Guys who are great in KHL aren't necessarily suited for NHL style of play.

Maybe guys like Koltsov, Hietanen, D.Kalinin(maybe not anymore), Medvedev, Chudinov.
 
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Chileiceman

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Dec 14, 2004
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I really hope Indrasis tries going to North America. I think he could carve a role for himself there. Kasper Daugavins could be an NHL'er.
 

m4tt145

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Jun 7, 2013
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Tikhonov would be a solid NHLer IMO. I hope he gives it a try after this season when his contract ends.
 

SoundAndFury

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May 28, 2012
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Atas list is pretty good, lots of players on it probably wouldn't really make it to the NHL (like Shipachyov or Varnakov) but you can't say for sure.

Jokeri wrote a good joke about Karalahti though :laugh: I think it was pretty obvious Omark didn't cut it in the NHL either.
 

Jokeri

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Jul 1, 2013
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Karalahti would have good NHL career without alcohol problem he did have back then.
Omark just didnt use his change when he got it.

First lines of Magnitka, SKA and AK Bars would be solid NHL players also IMHO.
 

Toffu

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Jan 31, 2014
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Juhamatti Aaltonen.

e9CWBc0.jpg
 

Thesensation19*

Guest
I think a lot more players from Europe can play in the NHL than we assume.
Most of the time these guys come over and have an issue playing here because they are commonly put in various roles. Top 6 players from Europe come over and there first chance are as bottom 6 players on NHL teams. Most teams play with a bottom 6 and top 6. So space on the top 6 is very limited. Look what happened in Toronto.

Then you also have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they come here with language barriers for the most part, cultural changes and all of that.

Its rough but doesnt mean there not talented.

Fortunately for them, more and more NHL teams are headed toward a top 9 and bottom 3 and that gives a lot of room to these guys. Also the idea that 4 new teams will open up and that will provide many more jobs to AHL and KHL hopefuls.
 

fedfed

@FedFedRMNB
Oct 28, 2010
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I'd take Plotnikov over Brouwer on my team every day, and I really like Troy. Plotnikov would be a very good second line winger playing style similar to Brouwer's.
 

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