Oh boy kid, wait until you get to the Mike Sullivan run Penguins...
Honestly though, this kid is doing everything we would want a prospect to be doing. Developing nicely and steadily getting more responsibility while continuing to produce. He's on a very nice path.
If we think back to NA and what Spezza has told the WBS kids - "we don't want to call you up until you're here to stay" - it might do Ilyin a bit of good to do one more year in the KHL next year. My worry about guys like Hallander and Ilyin is - I, myself, would have a hard time playing in WBS or potentially Wheeling while watching guys like Nieto, Imama, and Acciari in the NHL. Why would I want to do that when I could be a top line player in the league at home?
I think when they bring him over, there needs to be a legitimate plan to get him up to the NHL in-season, IF he doesn't start the year in the NHL. He'd likely need an adjustment period in the AHL which is fine and expected but if the plan is only to "meh, we'll see how he does and go from there", then leave him in the KHL where he's getting top line minutes.
Pretty exciting to have some overseas prospects doing well - Hallander, Fernstrom, Ilyin.
