Numbers-wise, maybe. But on the ice, he has looked really good. Definitely not disappointing in that sense.He sure is starting a bit slow, but the team is actually stacked. Young players getting mature, more chemistry for last season's additions vets.
I am not worriedNumbers-wise, maybe. But on the ice, he has looked really good. Definitely not disappointing in that sense.
The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.If he starts scoring for Ak and he keeps going, you have to think he will come over after his contract,no ?
The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.
He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.
The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.
He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.
That's the problem with highlights. I wasn't watching that much of him before too for obvious reasons. Now that he is on AkBars I have the opportunity to watch a lot of full games of his. A pass on a PP or just a pass here and there don't redeem bunches of times when he would just skate in straight lines with the puck not creating anything. Voronkov's meager 2 ponits so far are in big parts due to that. While Voronkov is +1 and Kovalenko with -1 well in the bottom half of the team's +/- stat. So Kovalenko is nothing to write home about defensively, his offence is reduced to shooting a lot, but those are mostly low quality shots from bad angles. His points for AkBArs so far are nothing spectacular. Part of it MIGHT be Kvartalnov's dumb-n-dumber system, but I more and more see Kovalenko as a guy who won't grow into anything rally valuable because he lacks that vision.This thread is full of his rather high-quality passes, I don't think someone with a tunnel vision can do that.
It's you who is exxagerating here not me. He is still a prospect and a couple of years back one could expect improvemnt from him and maybe top 6 potential while obviously he was never considered a first round talent. At this age I just wanted to point out to the HF community what his development looks like so far. It's not very promising by now and I am not too happy he is on my team.Were you somehow under the impression that he was a Mitch Marner style playmaking winger?
That's the problem with highlights. I wasn't watching that much of him before too for obvious reasons. Now that he is on AkBars I have the opportunity to watch a lot of full games of his. A pass on a PP or just a pass here and there don't redeem bunches of times when he would just skate in straight lines with the puck not creating anything. Voronkov's meager 2 ponits so far are in big parts due to that. While Voronkov is +1 and Kovalenko with -1 well in the bottom half of the team's +/- stat. So Kovalenko is nothing to write home about defensively, his offence is reduced to shooting a lot, but those are mostly low quality shots from bad angles. His points for AkBArs so far are nothing spectacular. Part of it MIGHT be Kvartalnov's dumb-n-dumber system, but I more and more see Kovalenko as a guy who won't grow into anything rally valuable because he lacks that vision.
In my book he is well behind Panyukov as an offseason addition.
It is really not everyone is dead. It's Kvartalnov's brain that is dead. I've followed his progress for obvious reasons. He was a coach who could not spell defence when he took over AkBars. He got spanked for it pretty bad. So he tried to figure this one out and he did. The team is really playing some structured defence by now. I don't know if it's Kvartalnov or an assistant was given the reins to organize the D. The usual goaltending mess and lack of personell on D is not helping, but it's not a sieve. But Kvartalnov seems to be not able to solve more than one problem at a time. Without his pure run and gun style the offence became toothless as F. as they are getting less support from defencemen who are not falling back earlier and don't pinch like madmen. Three forwards who are constantly storming the fort without a plan just waste a lot of energy and create useless shots. The PP being a blackhole(another Kvartalnov feat) does not help.It's not like I watch only highlights, two years ago it was Kovalenko, who was the main reason for Kayumov's 16 goals, that's what I've seen, so it's hard for me to imagine that suddenly his vision deteriorated that much. With that being said I didn't have a chance to watch him for Ak Bars full-time yet, not to mention that judging by the reports everyone is dead there except, suddenly, Kagarlitskiy, so maybe Kvartalnov just decided to go hardcore Krikunov-style in the offseason.
It's you who is exxagerating here not me. He is still a prospect and a couple of years back one could expect improvemnt from him and maybe top 6 potential while obviously he was never considered a first round talent. At this age I just wanted to point out to the HF community what his development looks like so far. It's not very promising by now and I am not too happy he is on my team.
Very average?Top 6? In what league? He was never going to be top 6 in the NHL, that's for sure. I think there was a small chance that he could make it as a bottom 6 grinder who might occasionally chip in a very little bit of offense but whose job was mostly depended upon to be difficult to play against and physical with a very high compete level. He was drafted 171st overall, the end of the 6th round, so he was always a long shot to make the NHL. I doubt he ever comes to the U.S. but the fact that he's not producing points on a very average Ak Bars team should not be a surprise to anyone.
This is puzzling, to say the least. You do realize Ak Bars is the team with most KHL titles, right?but the fact that he's not producing points on a very average Ak Bars team should not be a surprise to anyone.
The thing is after watching him fro quite some time now and extensively on my team now... He is low IQ player with a lot of hustle. If anything his projection for the NHL would be maybe and it's a big maybe a bottom six player.
He and Voronkov had to be separated because Kovalenko's play is absolutely not making other players better and Voronkov should not play with someone with tunnel vision.