F Vasili Atanasov - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL (2021 Undrafted)

[Kshahdoo]

He's not. #TOR is being used for Torpedo

Ah, yeah my bad. Somehow always forget about this.

 

[Garl]

Russian Hockey is on the rise, that’s obvious. More and more depth, diversification of profile.

In the NHL of the 2030s, it will be the 3rd world power.

5 years ago, 37 Russians played in NHL, this season already 61 players.

Lies, damned lies and statistics
Number of russians in NHL has grown to around 60 per year and is stable for last 3 years.
In the later part of 2020s and early 2030s I expect this number to grow and then drop again in the late 2030s.

As for 3rd hockey power, question is, will they produce a)centers, b)elite defensemen, c)star players to compensate retirement of old stars

 

[Zine]

Russian Hockey is on the rise, that’s obvious. More and more depth, diversification of profile.

In the NHL of the 2030s, it will be the 3rd world power.

5 years ago, 37 Russians played in NHL, this season already 61 players.

Lies, damned lies and statistics
Number of russians in NHL has grown to around 60 per year and is stable for last 3 years.
In the later part of 2020s and early 2030s I expect this number to grow and then drop again in the late 2030s.

As for 3rd hockey power, question is, will they produce a)centers, b)elite defensemen, c)star players to compensate retirement of old stars

Was just waiting for Garl to respond to that post.

It’s like a Bat-Signal.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Lies, damned lies and statistics
Number of russians in NHL has grown to around 60 per year and is stable for last 3 years.
In the later part of 2020s and early 2030s I expect this number to grow and then drop again in the late 2030s.

As for 3rd hockey power, question is, will they produce a)centers, b)elite defensemen, c)star players to compensate retirement of old stars

53 in 2020/21
62 in 2021/22
63 in 2022/23

Probably 65 in 2023/24

Elite defenders and centers will come with time. More and more Russian defenders in the league, D selected very high. There are already 2 centers expected very high for the 2025 and 2026 draft.
It’s a nation on the rise, that’s undeniable.

The stars are Kucherov, Panarin and Kaprizov... Retirement is still far away

If you thought about Malkin and Ovechkin, they are already no longer in the Russian top 6 in PPG

Either way, Michkov and Demidov will arrive

 

[Kshahdoo]

He can be pretty tough

 

[Mrfenn92]

Any idea if he comes over next season?

 

[Kshahdoo]

Any idea if he comes over next season?

Nah, he is signed for another year.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Resigned for 2 more years by Torpedo.

 

[Caser]

Resigned for 2 more years by Torpedo.

Not yet actually, but according to Torpedo GM there is an agreement in place to extend the contract.

 

[Peasy]

So that would mean 3 more years minimum in the KHL? (I thought he still had 1 year remaining but could be mistaken)

 

[barriers]

So that would mean 3 more years minimum in the KHL? (I thought he still had 1 year remaining but could be mistaken)

He had (has?) 1 year left but it's not unusual in the KHL to terminate a contract and effectively replace it. It could conceivably be a situation where they terminate the contract for its last year and then turn around and immediately sign a 2 year deal.

 

[Kshahdoo]

He had (has?) 1 year left but it's not unusual in the KHL to terminate a contract and effectively replace it. It could conceivably be a situation where they terminate the contract for it's last year and then turn around and immediately sign a 2 year deal.

Exactly, and for better money of course.

So I hope he'll come to NHL in 2026, and give us an epic battle vs Michkov for Calder.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Just wondering from those who have watched the KHL closely, how much of the jump in his offensive numbers is due to the style of play under Larionov?

Does Atanasov's game and skillset translate to the NHL pro game?

 

[Kshahdoo]

Just wondering from those who have watched the KHL closely, how much of the jump in his offensive numbers is due to the style of play under Larionov?

Does Atanasov's game and skillset translate to the NHL pro game?

Well, first, it's his first season with such numbers. So 2nd, it could be some kind of luck or like. And now 3rd, if he he repeats the numbers or scores even more points then we'll have more data for a deep analysis.

Preliminarily I can say the kid can skate, is a magician with the puck, and has great IQ. I think it should work ok in the NHL.

 

[Peasy]

Just wondering from those who have watched the KHL closely, how much of the jump in his offensive numbers is due to the style of play under Larionov?

Does Atanasov's game and skillset translate to the NHL pro game?

Hes on the smaller side, but very skilled, good puck skills, and is pretty relentless, not afraid to go to the dirty areas.

 

[Caser]

Extended with Torpedo until the end of 2025/26.

 

[Kshahdoo]

The 2nd video is called Vasily Atanasov - A KHL Star. The way he plays.

 

[BKarchitect]

Man he's a fun player. He does amazing work right around the net for somebody of his size...relentless motor on him and no fear. Can really snipe the puck in from any angle too.

Those Torpedo jerseys are sick BTW.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Man he's a fun player. He does amazing work right around the net for somebody of his size...relentless motor on him and no fear. Can really snipe the puck in from any angle too.

Those Torpedo jerseys are sick BTW.

He isn't that small (5'11), just a little bit light. On the other hand the less your muscles weigh the better your stamina is. I mean look at those marathon runners, you won't find a lot of big heavy guys amongst them. 100 meter runners, on the other side...

 

[B17 Apricots]

There's gonna be a lot of eyes on this kid going forward. If it wasn't for the injuries this past season he likely would've finished where he was all year, top 10 in scoring. Kovalenko will be in North America this year, Atanasov is likely going to be the go-to guy there. You don't want to get ahead of your self... if you really get to see this kid play, it's not just the point totals.. the way he's trending right now if he can keep building off this previous year I think he's a kid with star potential

 

[Kshahdoo]

There's gonna be a lot of eyes on this kid going forward. If it wasn't for the injuries this past season he likely would've finished where he was all year, top 10 in scoring. Kovalenko will be in North America this year, Atanasov is likely going to be the go-to guy there. You don't want to get ahead of your self... if you really get to see this kid play, it's not just the point totals.. the way he's trending right now if he can keep building off this previous year I think he's a kid with star potential

I'd say the most important thing about him is he's a very entertaining player, one of those who can drive fans crazy. And he's a funny personality, kinda reminds Kuzmenko (they even look very similar), always smiles.

Hockey is a show above all and it needs more players like Atanasov.

 

[barriers]

First of the season for Atanasov. Not sure if this telegram will post

 

[Kshahdoo]

Scored a hatty in 5-3 defeat...

 

[Caser]

Scored a hatty in 5-3 defeat...

 

[B17 Apricots]

Slow start for sure this year. Struggling to match the same consistency as last season. Plenty of time to turn it around