Zherdev, Whats The Deal

Will Zherdev be playing with CBJ this year?

What would be his realistic point totals

 

Its pretty darn close to a done deal that he's staying in Russia this year.

 

He will remain in Russia this year.

 

I heard he's going to stay in Russia too ! His Russian team (CSKA) was asking for a ridiculous amount of money as a release fee, to allow him to cut ties with the Russian league. Columbus isn't going to pay it, they will wait instead.

 

he's playing with Andrei Kostitsyn montreal 10th pick I heard!!!

not a bad partner to play with, though its fourth lineup they could always get promoted to top lines, and they are playing for very good team it seems so he'll progress more there then here, but then again he could have cracked NHL roster, that would have boosted columbus offensive game big time.

 

Talking about «ridiculous amount»... First of all, Zherdev said to Russian media weeks before inking with Columbus that he did prefer to stay in Russia one more year. He may have said so because 1- he truly thought he needed to, 2- he wanted to create an inflation during his negociations with Columbus or 3- because he already had a contract he signed before with his Russian team ( CSKA) and had to honor it.

Secondly, we have to keep in mind that the russian structure for the development of hockey players, which indeed is very good, is still the former one that existed under the Soviet regime, which indeed had some positive points... Under this system, the skilled very young kids learn their hockey under the teams school as CSKA, Moskow Dynamo, Soviet Wings and so on. These schools ( who, to my knowledge, are mostly all part of the Russian Professional League) develop the kids for years and years till some of them can reach the main club either in Russian Superleague of Russian High League ( first division). That means that these teams pay for the developement of the kids who then become young adults. And they want; like in our capitalist countries a return on their investment. The problem is that as soon as the most skilled players could play for the main team and bring some money to the team who paid- as Kovalchuk-, NHL clubs can hire them for a ridiculous amount. It is done under an agreement with the IIHF. The Russians do not agree with this agreement, which is at his last year, and they want a much more return on their investment in the future. There may be two battles next year: one between NHL and his players and an other one between Russian Federation, IIHF and NHL and NHLPA.

And we should agree with Russians because NHL clubs also pay ridiculous amounts to Canadian Juniors clubs. Last year, the Chicoutimi club received pennies from Minnesota for Pierre-Marc Bouchard and lost dozen of thousands dollars in revenues because he the rink of Chicoutimi would have been crowded with this youg star. It is like all over Canada. Had junior teams received better compensation from NHL, they could offer a better environment for the development of the kids. And NHL would be the first one to have a better product.

 

MacLean doesn't want to step on any toes over at CSKA, we have four other very good players that would make the Jackets if they decided to cross the pond. The chances of Zherdev coming over this season is very small.