WJC: 2017 Russia Roster Talk

[Atas2000]

Considering the performance of those that were invited, maybe it doesn't hurt to look at some other guys like Zhukenov, Ivashov or Artyomov.

Pretty much too late to look at guys who are not head and shoulders above their peers.

 

[Zine]

Considering the performance of those that were invited, maybe it doesn't hurt to look at some other guys like Zhukenov, Ivashov or Artyomov.

Nah, those guys don't bring anything that isnt already there. Although I'm puzzled why Bragin isnt giving Mityakin at least a look.

 

[malkinfan]

No surprises from Bragin.

He explicitely named Sergachev and Zborovskiy as locks for the WJC. Also mentioned that some CHL players disapponted. From my POV I would keep it at that. Those two were the only CHL players who made a positive impression during the series.

According to Bragin 7-8 spots up for grabs still. 28 players from Russia to attend camp on 17th December in Novogorsk. After that some will be left behind and the team leaves for Canada to be joined by the CHL selects.

Based on what Bragin has already said we can speculate with good certainty the entire D unit that will be at the WJC. D and goaltending are solid, offense not so much.

There was a third CHLer who was impressive - only got one game (Russia won against OHL) and he didn't disappoint. He set up 2 or 3 really nice plays and struck like lighting near the net to score an important goal. Russia needs a guy who can strike close to the net with the best of them like Sokolov.

Also I would like to see some more Abramov with a different set of forwards this time at the final camp. And although it doesnt earn him a spot, being 2nd in NCAA scoring as a rookie is remarkable, he deserves to get invited to the final evaluation camp. Scoring is needed so at this point a guy who can score should at least get a look as there has been no one who has shown to be a consistent offensive threat at the series, if there was maybe a different story.

 

[Caser]

Camp roster has been announced:

GK
Anton Krasotkin
Ilya Samsonov
Vladislav Sukhachyov

D
Artyom Chmykhov
Grigoriy Dronov
Kamil Fazylzyanov
Vadim Kudako
Ruslan Petrishchev
Yegor Rykov
Mikhail Sergachyov
Mikhail Sidorov
Artyom Volkov
Yegor Voronkov
Mikhail Yepishin
Sergey Zborovskiy

FW
Denis Alexeyev
Artyom Artyomov
Kirill Belyayev
Denis Guryanov
Roman Ivashov
Kirill Kaprizov
Pavel Karnaukhov
Nikita Korostelev
Mikhail Kotlyarevskiy
Danila Kvartalnov
Nikita Li
Mikhail Maltsev
Alexandr Polunin
German Rubtsov
Yakov Trenin
Artur Tyanulin
Kirill Urakov
Mikhail Vorobyov
Danil Yurtaikin

 

[MaxV]

Well Yepishin, Ivashov and Artyomov are new additions.

Clearly, he wasn't happy with the performance of some guys.

 

[MXD]

Camp roster has been announced:

GK
Anton Krasotkin
Ilya Samsonov
Vladislav Sukhachyov

D
Artyom Chmykhov
Grigoriy Dronov
Kamil Fazylzyanov
Vadim Kudako
Ruslan Petrishchev
Yegor Rykov
Mikhail Sergachyov
Mikhail Sidorov
Artyom Volkov
Yegor Voronkov
Mikhail Yepishin
Sergey Zborovskiy

FW
Denis Alexeyev
Artyom Artyomov
Kirill Belyayev
Denis Guryanov
Roman Ivashov
Kirill Kaprizov
Pavel Karnaukhov
Nikita Korostelev
Mikhail Kotlyarevskiy
Danila Kvartalnov
Nikita Li
Mikhail Maltsev
Alexandr Polunin
German Rubtsov
Yakov Trenin
Artur Tyanulin
Kirill Urakov
Mikhail Vorobyov
Danil Yurtaikin

...Abramov not there but Trenin is. That's... odd, and I'm being polite.

 

[MaxV]

Oh wait, Maltsev is there also. Interesting.

No Kostin or Popugayev.

 

[Caser]

Extremely surprised that Chebykin is not invited.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Bragin does his Bragin things. I'm not a fan of his hockey, but his teams are almost always amongst top3, so it's hard to expect anything different.

 

[Flynn84]

...Abramov not there but Trenin is. That's... odd, and I'm being polite.

WHAT? I assume you didn't watch super series? Abramov was bad. Trenin wasn't so great either. But he's the type of player that could be more useful for the short tourney. Russia usually has a lot of skilled wingers. Big center who's great on the dot is more rare thing for team Russia.

 

[MXD]

WHAT? I assume you didn't watch super series? Abramov was bad. Trenin wasn't so great either. But he's the type of player that could be more useful for the short tourney. Russia usually has a lot of skilled wingers. Big center who's great on the dot is more rare thing for team Russia.

Stop assuming things about me. You're off.

How many games of those two guys did you see in the lasat 14 months...?
Just curious.

 

[MaxV]

Bragin does his Bragin things. I'm not a fan of his hockey, but his teams are almost always amongst top3, so it's hard to expect anything different.

You know, that is the consensus opinion, Bragin knows what he is doing.

It is true that ever since he has taken over the results at WJC have been much better. So the assumption is that he is the difference-maker.

But could it be that he has access to better talent then his predecessors?

Before he took over, Russia's talent pool has gone through some terrible seasons. Once he took over, his teams have been bigger, stronger, more physical and deeper.

Just look at the roster of the team that won the gold.

 

[leaflover]

Camp roster has been announced:

GK
Anton Krasotkin
Ilya Samsonov
Vladislav Sukhachyov

D
Artyom Chmykhov
Grigoriy Dronov
Kamil Fazylzyanov
Vadim Kudako
Ruslan Petrishchev
Yegor Rykov
Mikhail Sergachyov
Mikhail Sidorov
Artyom Volkov
Yegor Voronkov
Mikhail Yepishin
Sergey Zborovskiy

FW
Denis Alexeyev
Artyom Artyomov
Kirill Belyayev
Denis Guryanov
Roman Ivashov
Kirill Kaprizov
Pavel Karnaukhov
Nikita Korostelev
Mikhail Kotlyarevskiy
Danila Kvartalnov
Nikita Li
Mikhail Maltsev
Alexandr Polunin
German Rubtsov
Yakov Trenin
Artur Tyanulin
Kirill Urakov
Mikhail Vorobyov
Danil Yurtaikin

Not so familiar with Russian prospects. What would you say are the positional strengths of that group?

 

[MaxV]

Not so familiar with Russian prospects. What would you say are the positional strengths of that group?

Goaltending and defense. Offense will probably have to be carried by 2 lines.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Goaltending and defense. Offense will probably have to be carried by 2 lines.

If the offense is carried by two lines, I think Russia wins the tournament. I think only the top line might play well, so while I think Russia will do well at this tournament, I'm not sure if they win. I look at the list of forwards, and am just not impressed, besides the top line.

 

[leaflover]

Goaltending and defense. Offense will probably have to be carried by 2 lines.

Thanks, sometimes 2 lines that can drive offense can be enough.

 

[Atas2000]

...Abramov not there but Trenin is. That's... odd, and I'm being polite.

That's not odd if you watched the Canada Russia series. Abramov was non existent.And Trenin is a big center. It's a team game. Abramov's spot was taken from him by Abramov himself... the day he left Russia.

 

[Statsy]

I was a little surprised not to see Alexander Volkov on the camp list. I thought he was a real bright spot for Russia during the Super Series. Taking a closer look though, it looks like he's listed as injured at the moment. Does anyone know what happened?

 

[wings5]

...Abramov not there but Trenin is. That's... odd, and I'm being polite.

The trend is older players with the exception of a few 98s playing in Russia. That's why he chose Trenin instead of Abramov , Tyanulin instead of Sokolov, Korostelev instead of Popugayev.

 

[Yakushev72]

That's not odd if you watched the Canada Russia series. Abramov was non existent.And Trenin is a big center. It's a team game. Abramov's spot was taken from him by Abramov himself... the day he left Russia.

That is the risk that guys like Abramov who go to NA take. There has to be a bias among Russian coaches in favor of guys who stay and fill out the MHL or play in the VHL/KHL. In NA, they play a different style and are too far removed from the coach's eye to fit in for international tournaments. So, if all else is equal, the guy who plays in Russia will be selected ahead of the guy who plays in NA. I think that is the right approach. For Abramov, you wonder what the future will hold, since he is probably too small to win a full-time NHL roster spot.

 

[MXD]

That is the risk that guys like Abramov who go to NA take. There has to be a bias among Russian coaches in favor of guys who stay and fill out the MHL or play in the VHL/KHL. In NA, they play a different style and are too far removed from the coach's eye to fit in for international tournaments. So, if all else is equal, the guy who plays in Russia will be selected ahead of the guy who plays in NA. I think that is the right approach. For Abramov, you wonder what the future will hold, since he is probably too small to win a full-time NHL roster spot.

Yeah, you're right, it does make sense to a certain extent. But sometimes, being far from the Coach's eye can actually be something that INCREASES the probability of a player being picked... Because frankly, if Russian coaches would be seeing Trenin play on a regular basis, there's no way they'd have invited him there. I get a that he's a big body playing center, but there's certainly a few players in that mold in Russia that fit this requirement. I mean... it's Russia. Not Switzerland.

Smaller players than Abramov have earned a full-time NHL roster spot in the past, so if Abramov develops well, no reason to think he cannot. And I don't see him having issues in earning a roster spot somewhere in some league, whether it's in Russia or elsewhere in Europe, should he fail to find one here. He wouldn't be the first nor the last to fail.

And besides, my initial post was mostly about Trenin... I refered to Abramov since I always see them together.

 

[MaxV]

Trenin might be viewed as this year's Svetlakov by Bragin.

 

[Garyboy]

Those in the know with the Russian U-20's feel that Denis Smirnov should be there? He's putting up some impressive numbers with Penn State. Thanks.

 

[Yakushev72]

Yeah, you're right, it does make sense to a certain extent. But sometimes, being far from the Coach's eye can actually be something that INCREASES the probability of a player being picked... Because frankly, if Russian coaches would be seeing Trenin play on a regular basis, there's no way they'd have invited him there. I get a that he's a big body playing center, but there's certainly a few players in that mold in Russia that fit this requirement. I mean... it's Russia. Not Switzerland.

Smaller players than Abramov have earned a full-time NHL roster spot in the past, so if Abramov develops well, no reason to think he cannot. And I don't see him having issues in earning a roster spot somewhere in some league, whether it's in Russia or elsewhere in Europe, should he fail to find one here. He wouldn't be the first nor the last to fail.

And besides, my initial post was mostly about Trenin... I refered to Abramov since I always see them together.

A main purpose of the Canada-Russia series in November is to evaluate NA players who don't play in front of the coach's eyes regularly. Admittedly, hard to say why Trenin specifically was selected, other than the fact that he has a strength that is a perennial Russian weakness - winning face-offs. Easy to see Bragin's mind working. There might be a situation in an important game when it is a critical need to win a face-off. Enter Trenin. I'm just guessing, but that could be what Bragin is thinking.

 

[Atas2000]

A main purpose of the Canada-Russia series in November is to evaluate NA players who don't play in front of the coach's eyes regularly. Admittedly, hard to say why Trenin specifically was selected, other than the fact that he has a strength that is a perennial Russian weakness - winning face-offs. Easy to see Bragin's mind working. There might be a situation in an important game when it is a critical need to win a face-off. Enter Trenin. I'm just guessing, but that could be what Bragin is thinking.

Center - check

Big Center - check

Wins faceoffs - check