Confirmed with Link: Canucks Sign Kirill Kudryavtsev to ELC

[RobsonStreet]

Depending on the definition of NHLer, it’s quite a bit lower.

If your sole criterion is “did they play 200 NHL games”, it’s about 9%. (Source: 2000 - 2015 drafts).

 

[F A N]

What's wrong with his skating? I have barely seen him play but the few clips I've seen show he's pretty fast. Wagner has an article on him: Canucks sign seventh-round pick Kirill Kudryavtsev

His first steps are slow. Even the Wagner article you posted has this quote:

"Kudryavtsev is slow to react to just about everything,” said Elite Prospects’ Mitch Brown in a scouting report in his draft year. “He’s late on pivots, his check, pinches, and late to identify passing lanes.”

I'm hoping it's more of a skating issue than a hockey IQ issue.

 

[IComeInPeace]

In reading Fabers CanucksArmy article on the kid yesterday (and he seems pretty familiar with him) he refers to him as a ‘big body’ and says he’s now 6’1”.

I’m not sure if he’s just wrong about the kids size, or if in fact he’s had a late growth spurt.

But, if it’s true he’s now 6’1”, that sure doesn’t hurt his chances at all.

He’s a pretty good skater and puck mover.

Probably signed him now to show him the team thinks he’s a legit prospect and to stop him from signing a pro contract in the KHL where he could start collecting a paycheck right away.

 

[IComeInPeace]

His first steps are slow. Even the Wagner article you posted has this quote:

"Kudryavtsev is slow to react to just about everything,” said Elite Prospects’ Mitch Brown in a scouting report in his draft year. “He’s late on pivots, his check, pinches, and late to identify passing lanes.”

I'm hoping it's more of a skating issue than a hockey IQ issue.

In reading/watching Faber’s review of Kudryavtsev from this year Faber states his favorite part of KK’s game is how quickly he can pivot and retrieve pucks that are dumped in, and then get the puck back up ice so fast.

That isn’t exactly what Wagner is criticizing, but there seems to be some overlap (your first couple of steps coming out of a pivot would have to be fast in order to be described as ’being able to pivot and retrieve pucks so quickly’.

#1 I believe it’s more important to see where his game is this season, as compared to his draft year.

That’s the difference between a guy that’s a good pick and a bad pick: his ability to overcome his issues.

#2 Faber puts in a lot of time watching prospects but I think I’d defer to Wagner‘s scouting abilities moreso (but only slightly) than Faber’s, as long as Wagner is reporting what he saw this year, not last (Faber is referring to what he saw when he watched ‘about a dozen games this season’)

Faber seemed to be really high on Viktor Persson in his D+1 season in Sweden.
Based on those Faber reports I was really excited to see Persson when he came over…

…but Persson looked like an absolute nothing prospect in his D+2 season when he came to Kamloops. His Liiga debut this season is in line with what we saw last season in Kamloops.

 

[tantalum]

Teams starting to sign guys to ELCs in the last week. Canucks do it and somehow it’s strange timing.

 

[RobertKron]

Teams starting to sign guys to ELCs in the last week. Canucks do it and somehow it’s strange timing.

It's strange because they don't lose his rights for another year. Given that he isn't going to play in the NHL next season, it is strange timing barring some external circumstance.

I'd assume he was looking at offers overseas, and the team had to sign him to keep him in the fold, but who knows.

 

[Vector]

It's strange because they don't lose his rights for another year. Given that he isn't going to play in the NHL next season, it is strange timing barring some external circumstance.

*looks at agent*

Yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s a little something going on here.

 

[Nick Lang]

Burkie didn't mind Russians AFAIK. Nonis, not sure.

Gillis had an official "No Russians" draft policy.

Gillis had a don't draft anyone that can play hockey policy.

 

[tantalum]

It's strange because they don't lose his rights for another year. Given that he isn't going to play in the NHL next season, it is strange timing barring some external circumstance.

I'd assume he was looking at offers overseas, and the team had to sign him to keep him in the fold, but who knows.

Plenty of guys sign ELCs prior to the year of losing rights. Even ones not going to play in the NHL. Doesn’t even need to be another reason. Which of course there could be.

 

[iceburg]

absolutely not.

that's insulting... being it's it's own country

How about the Slavic Six....has a better ring to it anyway, no?

 

[Aphid Attraction]

Gillis had a don't draft anyone that can play hockey policy.

Gillis wasn’t drafting Russian players in the first round, but he was drafting players whose future were in Russia.

 

[tradervik]

His first steps are slow. Even the Wagner article you posted has this quote:

"Kudryavtsev is slow to react to just about everything,” said Elite Prospects’ Mitch Brown in a scouting report in his draft year. “He’s late on pivots, his check, pinches, and late to identify passing lanes.”

I'm hoping it's more of a skating issue than a hockey IQ issue.

That seems to be about the speed with which he processes the game, not his skating. Is it a hockey IQ issue? Possibly but that’s such a nebulous term. Speed of reaction is one thing, reacting quickly but making a bad decision is another.

 

[F A N]

That seems to be about the speed with which he processes the game, not his skating. Is it a hockey IQ issue? Possibly but that’s such a nebulous term. Speed of reaction is one thing, reacting quickly but making a bad decision is another.

HockeyProspect questioned his skating as well. Regardless the concern remains the same either way. That seems to be an area that needs to be improved. One can overcome average skating by being good at reading the play, smart body positioning and stick work etc.

 

[F A N]

Teams starting to sign guys to ELCs in the last week. Canucks do it and somehow it’s strange timing.

It's strange because they don't lose his rights for another year. Given that he isn't going to play in the NHL next season, it is strange timing barring some external circumstance.

I'd assume he was looking at offers overseas, and the team had to sign him to keep him in the fold, but who knows.

I agree with RK. Teams don't typically sign 7th round picks at this point in time unless they had a strong breakout year and or the team sees the player possibly playing in the AHL or NHL last season. We did this with Mackenze Stewart who was older and that was a waste of a contract.

But at the end of the day, if the team really likes Kudryavtsev and has seen enough of him to believe in him then there isn't much practical difference whether the team signs him now or later. Dmen like Kudryavtsev is going to take a few years of seasoning so presumably, absent some unforeseen decline in play, the team probably wants to sign him since we're thinking long term here. Heck, BreezeBOIS just signed his 5th contract with the Canucks.

 

[SSMHoundsFan]

He was drafted from the CHL so he's classed the same as any Canadian player playing major junior and he's ineligible for the AHL next year. It's either back to the OHL or he goes back to Europe.

Going back overseas isn't even a remote possibility...it's either the big leagues or back with the Hounds and at this point everything says he's back with the Hounds next year

 

[Bubbles]

When we drafted him I thought "this is what you should be doing with 7th rounders". Looks like he could pay off, which would be great.

IIRC, a 7th round has a 10 - 15 % chance of having a NHL career. Tracking very well.

I agree with your point about 7th rounders.

In fact, there really isn't much separating a 4th round to 7th round prospect. It's really a crapshoot in those rounds.

I actually consider it a success if you could get an AHLer or 1 NHL game from anyone from 4th-7th.

 

[IComeInPeace]

On Drance’s latest podcast (I believe from Friday) he stated KK would go at least 2-3 rounds higher in a re-draft after the season he’s had/is having.

 

[VanJack]

On Drance’s latest podcast (I believe from Friday) he stated KK would go at least 2-3 rounds higher in a re-draft after the season he’s had/is having.

That's the key for me......too many times the Canucks have taken a flyer on d-men in later rounds, and then watched them stagnate for the rest of their junior careers?

Kudryavtsev has just kept on improving, and opened more than a few eyes in Development Camp last season. With a guy drafted in the seventh round stepping up and actually earning an NHL contract--that's about all you can ask for in a late round pick.

 

[Blue and Green]

Time for a bump on this thread. I think this kid's got a viable chance to become an actual NHL player. He's clearly better than most 7th-round picks and almost certainly will see NHL action at some point in the future-- but whether that is 5 games, or 50, or 500 is very much up in the air. I think that he'll be a fixture in the Abbotsford lineup as a rookie and if he can play his way above the third pair this season, then it will really get interesting.

 

[VanJack]

Whatever he eventually becomes, Kudryavtsev is that rare breed who can play either side of the blueline with equal facility. This flexibility is something that a lot of young d-men simply don't possess.

So it'll be interesting to follow him in Abbotsford to see how much time he spends on his natural left side and how much on the right. I really hope the Canucks continue to try to develop that part of his game. A guy who can move from left to right at the NHL level is pure gold.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Project Dimitri Orlov

 

[Tobi1Kenobi]

He looked really good. Great stick. Made some high end reads