F Rodion Amirov (2020, 15th, TOR) - tragically passed away due to brain tumor 8/14/23

[Isaac Nootin]

Something tells me the Leafs might rush him. It’s nothing against them because the organization knows how to develop well forwards - but with the cap crunch will they be too tempted to bring him over on an ELC?

him being a 40 pts guy at 850k would help them a lot with secondary scoring. They could use a guy like him in the middle six soon, not next year but maybe 2022-2023

but even then maybe he will indeed be ready anyway

They won't. Rumors right now of Amirov close to a 2 year extension in Salavant, which is a great timeline for both player and organization.

 

[Atas2000]

For the posters that follow the KHL closely, will Soshnikov being traded from Salavat make room in the top 9 for Amirov or will the fact that he's leaving for the WJC mean that he will likely remain on the 4th line/13th forward when he returns?

@Caser @Atas2000 @Kshahdoo @SoundAndFury

He averages 14 minutes, he played 15+ tonight. He IS in the top9. He will miss nearly 2 months due to WJC anyway though and after that there is only a month and a half left of the regualar season.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I want to see him spend an offseason with Matthews just watching him shoot. He already has good mechanics, but adding the drag before the release like Matthews does is going to open up a lot of room in the net for him. You can see him do it a little in the goal against SKA.

 

[JSn0w93]

Something tells me the Leafs might rush him. It’s nothing against them because the organization knows how to develop well forwards - but with the cap crunch will they be too tempted to bring him over on an ELC?

him being a 40 pts guy at 850k would help them a lot with secondary scoring. They could use a guy like him in the middle six soon, not next year but maybe 2022-2023

but even then maybe he will indeed be ready anyway at that point

Yeah if he's capable of putting up 40 points they wouldn't be rushing him anyway. I think he could be ready to play soon, this isn't a player that is years away.

 

[93LEAFS]

Something tells me the Leafs might rush him. It’s nothing against them because the organization knows how to develop well forwards - but with the cap crunch will they be too tempted to bring him over on an ELC?

him being a 40 pts guy at 850k would help them a lot with secondary scoring. They could use a guy like him in the middle six soon, not next year but maybe 2022-2023

but even then maybe he will indeed be ready anyway at that point

If he excels in the KHL, he'll likely take a heavily bonus laden ELC to come over, which will reduce the cap savings if he hits them.

 

[SlafCaufield]

I would say I probly wouldnt have him taking any penalty shootout attempts in the world juniors this year lol

 

[Isaac Nootin]

I would say I probly wouldnt have him taking any penalty shootout attempts in the world juniors this year lol

That's not saying much considering your prospect evaluation is absolutely terrible.

 

[SoundAndFury]

For the posters that follow the KHL closely, will Soshnikov being traded from Salavat make room in the top 9 for Amirov or will the fact that he's leaving for the WJC mean that he will likely remain on the 4th line/13th forward when he returns?

Much like Atas said, I think Amirov should already be considered a top-9 forward and this just cements it. As a side note, seems like a terrible trade.

 

[Rob Brown]

I would say I probly wouldnt have him taking any penalty shootout attempts in the world juniors this year lol

Great contribution. Straight from a bad take in the Robertson/Caufield thread to this one.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

I would say I probly wouldnt have him taking any penalty shootout attempts in the world juniors this year lol

 

[Atas2000]

As a side note, seems like a terrible trade.

A very typical one when a player who just does not want to stay is involved. And Naumenkov is underrated. He will give Salavat some real good D depth. Way more than a forward who does not want to be there. Bad news though for another NHL fanbase. Mukhamadullin is soon off to WJC camp and if Naumenkov fits in well Mukhamadullin will be hard pressed to win back his role on Salavat's D after the return.

 

[SoundAndFury]

And Naumenkov is underrated.

I guess we will disagree here. By far the worst D CSKA had.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

He averages 14 minutes, he played 15+ tonight. He IS in the top9. He will miss nearly 2 months due to WJC anyway though and after that there is only a month and a half left of the regualar season.

His minutes per game stats are a bit flawed. Earlier in the season he was playing 20+ a night because all their best older players had covid. He's been stuck in the bottom six getting low minutes whenever he's played lately.

 

[Antropovsky]

Hadn't thought of that, but the second gif definitely has shades of Nylander, especially the edge work and having his head up the entire time.

I dont see Nylander at all myself. Amirov looks explosive and quick with a nose for the net. Meanwhile Nylander is graceful, slows the play down and plays more around the perimeter. Only have viewed highlights though

 

[Pyrophorus]

I dont see Nylander at all myself. Amirov looks explosive and quick with a nose for the net. Meanwhile Nylander is graceful, slows the play down and plays more around the perimeter. Only have viewed highlights though

I can see someone, didn't watch a game this season.

 

[Atas2000]

His minutes per game stats are a bit flawed. Earlier in the season he was playing 20+ a night because all their best older players had covid. He's been stuck in the bottom six getting low minutes whenever he's played lately.

We all know by now the young ones played a little more during the COVID quarantene. You are still not quite correct. He has played top6 minutes in the most recent games and wasn't used as a bottom6 forward. Those quarantene games were also too few to change his overall average significantly if he wasn't playing big minutes elsewhen. He has played around 14 minutes per game before the quarantene too. It's rather only the three games before the EHT he got sheltered a bit playing around 6 minutes per and that probably in his favor to give him rest before the NT. His 23 GP average is pretty accurate therefore.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I mean even looking at his partners, he has been with Vorobyov's line/PP unit for like 10 games now, that's really not a bottom line usage. That's maybe not strictly top-6 because really the way Salavat plays it's top line and then 2 middle-6 lines but yeah, the days Amirov was used as a 4th liner/13th forward seem to be behind.

 

[Peasy]

I dont see Nylander at all myself. Amirov looks explosive and quick with a nose for the net. Meanwhile Nylander is graceful, slows the play down and plays more around the perimeter. Only have viewed highlights though

Nylander was top of the league for net front goals last season.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

He just posted this on IG making fun of himself haha.

 

[Atas2000]

He just posted this on IG making fun of himself haha.

That's confidence. I like it.

Also, here is a disappointed AkBars fan speaking. Khovanov would have probably deleted his IG account after such a SO attempt. He should watch and learn from the younger guy.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I dont see Nylander at all myself. Amirov looks explosive and quick with a nose for the net. Meanwhile Nylander is graceful, slows the play down and plays more around the perimeter. Only have viewed highlights though

Ignoring your take, I think the comparison had more to do with the way they physically move their bodies. For example, the way Amirov uses his lower body strength to protect the puck is reminiscent of SHL Nylander imo. Just the way he moves in general with the puck on his stick reminds me a lot of a young Nylander.

It's kind of funny that Amirov was randomly labeled "small" because Nylander had a similar label for a while that made absolutely no sense to anyone watching games.

For style of play, I don't know if I would compare Amirov to Nylander. Not for the reasons you listed though. Nylander was viewed as a much more offensive weapon as a prospect, Amirov isn't quite there. But I think Amirov has an edge away from the puck that Nylander never had.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread but watching Amirov this season, I still think this is one of the best fits of the draft.

 

[hockeeyyy]

I dont see Nylander at all myself. Amirov looks explosive and quick with a nose for the net. Meanwhile Nylander is graceful, slows the play down and plays more around the perimeter. Only have viewed highlights though

Nylander had the most goals in front and around the net last season. He’s no slouch.
Amirov and Nylander aren’t stylistically similar.

if I had a gun to my head, I’d say Amirov plays a bit like Hossa. Stylistically of course. Not saying that’s what Amirov’s potential is.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Nylander had the most goals in front and around the net last season. He’s no slouch.
Amirov and Nylander aren’t stylistically similar.

if I had a gun to my head, I’d say Amirov plays a bit like Hossa. Stylistically of course. Not saying that’s what Amirov’s potential is.

My theory is that people see Nylander as a perimeter player because when he's on the ice he's usually the one carrying the puck into the offensive zone. When you're carrying the puck into the OZ you're rarely cutting right into the middle, the defenders are in place specifically to stop you from doing that. So what he ends up doing is buying time around the perimeter to get 5 men into the offensive zone. Some players dump and chase, but Nylander often holds possession because he can handle the puck well in tight situations and has really good edges (like amirov) to skate out of trouble, and it leaves him with better possession and more dangerous offensive opportunities when your defenders and centre come in with speed. Once set-up, however, he is often finding ways into the slot, which his shot location stats will support.

 

[Antropovsky]

Nylander had the most goals in front and around the net last season. He’s no slouch.
Amirov and Nylander aren’t stylistically similar.

if I had a gun to my head, I’d say Amirov plays a bit like Hossa. Stylistically of course. Not saying that’s what Amirov’s potential is.

Agreed Nylander definitely improved this year around the net... I should not have said Amirov has a nose for the net as a positive when comparing Nylander and him because Nylander was much more around the net this year and actually one his strengths.

When I say perimeter player with Nylander... I mean he avoids contact like the plague and almost always is keeping a cushion between him and physical contact. He is a stick lifter and he avoids situations where he may bump into players or get hit. Sometimes I'm impressed with his ability to strip pucks but others times i want to pull my hair out watching him

Amirov however seems much more willing to use his body, he will take a hit to make a play, he will use his body to separate man from puck in corners, in one highlight he even went a bit out of his way to finish a hit when he saw an opportunity on an unsuspecting player.... this may change at the NHL level but he still is a young man in a men's league.

Nylander will not do any of these things, he coasts into corners, I think it was this postseason where he actually abandoned a loose puck where he would've been first on it because he knew he was being pursued. Think Burke highlighted it (could be wrong)...believe alot of intermission commentary was focused on Nylander being on the perimeter in the playoffs? Anyone else verify this or was i imagining it?

Nylander was better this year at being around the net... but I think he still is a perimeter player.

Edit: Coincidentally i just noticed an article was just written highlighting what I'm talking about with Nylander (Note i have held the same judgements about Marner too):

Dubas: Leafs core need to 'sacrifice a little bit' to reach potential
Dubas: Leafs core need to 'sacrifice a little bit' to reach potential


When we talk about toughness with our group, it's very simple the way we define it," Dubas said. "If there's a 50-50 puck, do you desperately want to win that puck every single time? And are you willing to be the first one on the puck? Are you willing to go to the difficult areas of the ice with and without the puck and be successful?"

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Something tells me the Leafs might rush him. It’s nothing against them because the organization knows how to develop well forwards - but with the cap crunch will they be too tempted to bring him over on an ELC?

him being a 40 pts guy at 850k would help them a lot with secondary scoring. They could use a guy like him in the middle six soon, not next year but maybe 2022-2023

but even then maybe he will indeed be ready anyway at that point

They've got Robertson ahead of him.