Some thoughts after the SuperSeries:
Don't really want to even think about Tretyak and Trushkov, can we have an extra skater instead of the third goalie at WJC?
Defense situation is still uncertain, although Zhuldikov was named as a captain for those last games and that's definitely a sign of trust from Bragin. On the negative side, to me it looks like Zborovskiy should wait a year.
Bragin is using Dergachyov and Svechnikov at wings, which leaves us rather short of center options. If Kamenev is not there, we have Kraskovsky, Svetlakov and... and... Trenin? Letunov? Fazleyev (I still have that turnover in front of my eyes)? Not the greatest options, imo. No idea who can be a 4-th line center, Protapovich doesn't look convincing, same with Fazleyev.
Have a mixed feelings about Vovchenko and Pilipenko. I still think it might have been much better if they had someone at center who is better than Igumnov at... at the game of hockey basically. Vovchenko had too much missed chances. Pilipenko looked creative and explosive, but rather soft and inconsistent, still he did the backcheck very often.
Svechnikov and Lazarev shouldn't be separated (you can send this to Ken Holland too, btw
).
Again mixed feelings, this time about Dergachyov, he is, of course, good at the physical part and all the dirty stuff, but I'm not sure if his offensive side is good enough for the leading role at the Top6.
I have an impression that there is a certain deficit of creative guys this year. Before the SuperSeries I thought it will be between Lazarev and Pilipenko for the roster spot at RW, right now I would take them both just because they can actually generate the offense with some unexpected moves.
Nekolenko is a huge surprise, he suddenly remembered that he was considered one of the biggest talents of 1996 birth year. He is one of the few guys who I can't say anything bad about.
Lauta and Afonsyevskiy looked rather inconsistent, but still decent, I think they are the main options for the bottom six LWs.
I have a feeling that right now lines could be something like that:
Svechnikov-Kamenev/Trenin-Lazarev
Kaprizov-Svetlakov-Dergachyov
Lauta-Kraskovsky-Korshkov
Afonasyevskiy-?????-Nekolenko
As I already mentioned, I still think we need Pilipenko's abilities, but I just don't see a place for him. Zhelezkov could still fight for the bottom six LW position. Hope that Nikolishin can have another chance too, he just got a hat-trick in WHL game, although again I fail to see a place for him as Svechnikov and Kaprizov look like having reserved Top6 LW roster spots. Letunov is a mystery for me, he has good stats at NCAA, even faceoff stats have been slightly improved, I wouldn't mind at least to have him invited to the camp, having in mind our center situation. Oh, yes, and there's still Guryanov as a possibility for RW.
Btw, any updates on Dervuk's and Dergachyov's injuries? It's not a long time until the training camp (December 11-th, iirc), so any injury trouble is worrisome.
