Still early, but it's starting to look like it'll make more sense for Nabokov to stay in the KHL for another year or two if Wedgewood and Blackwood can finally give some stability in net.
Prospect Info: 2024-25 Prospect Info (CHL, NCAA, Europe)
- Thread starter McMetal
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Still early, but it's starting to look like it'll make more sense for Nabokov to stay in the KHL for another year or two if Wedgewood and Blackwood can finally give some stability in net.
- Oct 24, 2008
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He'd be okay with that for a year, but any longer and there's risk in him bolting back to Russia. Why would he ride the bus being underpaid instead of staying in the KHL?
I'd rather let him marinate longer. Sorokin/Shesterkin were 23-24 when they came over. That's the timeline we should give Nabokov.
Bender
I'll eat pancakes on his grave!
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Perratrooper
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Bill Peckerskull
Fargin' Icehole
Henceforth Gulayev is "Sexual Chocolate".
expatriatedtexan
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Yep, but if he can round out his offensive game, that's the difference between him being on the 3rd line as opposed to the 4th, IMO.
The thing for me, is that he's still so young. Him being able to be trusted with some minutes already is fantastic. I'm hoping he becomes an everyday 4th liner next year and then hopefully see if he can make a run at the 3rd line after he gets settled.
To be fair is not like the rest of the picks behind him amounted to anything. I doubt they would've reached for Stankoven
AvsCOL
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Yeah it was a pretty weak draft admittedly. They made up for it in the 2023 draft however...
McMetal
Writer of Wrongs
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Agreed. I think there is definitely value in playing him in an offensive role at the AHL level to maximize his development there. LOC is a good example of how that can boost a prospect's value long term, I think the Eagles were very good for him. Some guys just seem to do better offensively in pro hockey than they did in juniors or college. The structure and pace just suit them better, and it's good to nurture that even in a guy you expect to be a bottom sixer.
I just think that when he's at the NHL level, there's nothing wrong with using him as a 4th liner, because he also needs to learn how to do that kind of job if he wants to keep an NHL gig someday. The more offense he chips in, the better (of course), but his signature moves will be hounding the puck, digging it out along the walls, and not bleeding chances against while he's out there. I hope he gets there, because I low-key love that kind of player and every great team needs guys like that.
expatriatedtexan
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I refuse to believe until he's doing it for real in the NHL.
Been fooled too many times before. Not sure if that says more about my judgement or my age, but either way. I like Ritchie, but I'm keeping my expectations for him relatively restrained Which is wierd because if someone wanted him, I'd be expecting a BIG return.
Nah I get it. The Avs are so shit at drafting that you really can't trust anything they do in that department these days.
But Ritchie at least looks like he's got a chance to finally break the pattern.
Richard88
John 3:16
- Jun 29, 2019
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How have the last dozen or so 1C's on Canada's WJC roster done in the NHL?
Perratrooper
Registered User
Celebrini(?), Bedard, McTavish, Cozens, Hayton, Frost(?), Kyrou/Steel, Strome, Strome, Reinhart/McD, Lazar(?)
Sooo a bit all over the place in terms of NHL success. Particularly as players who went back as 19 year olds.
Well, at least they all made it to the show. Some underwhelming, some good players and some stars.
Perratrooper
Registered User
There’s a lot of ways to look at it. As with any player, development isn’t linear. However, all the true star players were under 18 and under when leading the team. Where as McTavish, Cozens, Strome and Reinhart you have a large mixed bag.
Henchy continues to use Dylan Strome as a good comparable and as much as we all want him to be better earlier on it’s a scary accurate comparison so far.
Strome also played 7 NHL games after his draft year putting up 1 point in 7 games. He was then the top center for team Canada, before playing a handful of NHL games and putting up good numbers in the A.
Let’s just hope we get a good player when we trade him
I'd say that's a really good track record honestly. Only Lazar is a significant disappointment.
The rest are basically all Top 6 or Top 9 Forwards with Hayton/Frost maybe being the only two that aren't legit Top 6 guys.
Again, I dont want to jinx the Avs here given our track record but in theory I really feel like Ritchie should be a slam dunk Top 6 forward in the NHL at this point.
That being said, I'm not convinced he'd be a Top 6 forward as soon as he enters the league, it might take a couple of years to progress to that level. So in that same vein if a really good deal presented itself between now and March for him, I wouldn't be against moving him as I'm really not sure he'd actually help this current core contend for a cup.
The good news is his value should be extremely high if he has a strong WJC which it seems like he probably will if trends continue... So he may very well be the type of elite prospect that shakes loose a couple of names nobody expected to be available type of situation.
Did a quick check of TOI for the last 2 games Team Canada played in every WJC. Hard to tell who was center or the #1C since some years they stacked a line and others they distributed ice-time evenly. But these are the players that play/played center and had the most TOI.
2023 - Wright/Bedard
2022 - McTavish/Bedard/Johnson
2021 - Krebs/Cozens/McMichael
2020 - Veleno/Hayton
2019 - Glass/Hayton
2018 - Dube/Steel
2017 - Barzal/Strome/Dubois
Before 2016 - TOI wasn't tracked
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