Prospect Info: San Jose Sharks #6 Prospect

[tealzamboni]

The pronunciation is not what I would have expected. Nee-a-zev

IIRC Hannan called Kynzhov nee-zov.

 

[Desert Eagle]

If I remember correctly, in Cyrillic Kniazev (or Knyazev) is Князев, which is pronounced Kn-ya-zev

That is. Check here, 0:13 -
Besides, he is "Knyazev", not "Kniazev".

 

[Desert Eagle]

IIRC Hannan called Kynzhov nee-zov.

You should pronounce "K". Hannan is Canadian and I`m from Russia, I know better

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Between Gushin and Kniazev, but I'm going with Kniazev

 

[seroes]

Went with Kniazev here

 

[Jargon]

As a Russian speaker, I’m going to be very amused at Canadians and Americans trying to say Kniazev.

 

[one2gamble]

As a Russian speaker, I’m going to be very amused at Canadians and Americans trying to say Kniazev.

"One of the Russian ones"

 

[CupfortheSharks]

As a Russian speaker, I’m going to be very amused at Canadians and Americans trying to say Kniazev.

I’m going pronounce his name just like Randy does. If he can get get Korenar right, he can get Kniazev right too.

 

[The Nemesis]

The "correct" pronunciation of Kniazev/Knyazev (I like it better with the 'y', but that's just me) is whatever Artemi wants it to be. If he tells media people here to say it one way, that's fine even if it's not singularly correct in terms of how a Russian speaker would pronounce it. Remember, there was a point when there were two Michaleks in the league and each one pronounced their surname differently.

Or at least that would've been the case if Milan ever actually had a brother and this wasn't a shameful hoax.

source: a guy with a French last name that was anglicized when his family moved to Canada in like the 1910s and yet people still can't even get the anglicized version right, never mind the original French pronunciation.

I'm just happy the Sharks still have a few guys to vote on that would be legitimate top 5 prospects on more than a few teams. Just shows how strong they have been drafting the last few years.

I'm more amazed that we've made it to #6 in the poll and are still talking about guys with legitimate shots to be something of use/value at the NHL level instead of "if you squint maybe he ends up as a decent 3rd liner" type stuff.

Just for kicks, I went back and found as many old top prospect polls lists as I could scrounge up in 5 minutes of searching

***WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTENT IS SEVERELY DEPRESSING***​

The earliest I could find a set of polls for before the search results turned into post upon post upon post from prospect discussion threads was 2014. So just 7 years ago this was our top 10 as voted on by the community:

2014
1) Mirco Mueller
2) Nik Goldobin
3) Chris Tierney
4) Konrad Abeltshauser
5) Julius Bergman
6) Freddie Hamilton
7) Michael Brodzinski (ie not the one that ultimately played games for the sharks)
8) Dan O'Regan
9) Sean Kuraly
10) Noah Rod


a year later it was:

2015
1) Timo Meier
2) Goldobin
3) Jeremy Roy
4) Rourke Chartier
5) Joonas Donskoi
6) Bergman
7) O'Regan
8) Nikita Jevpalovs
9) Rod
10) The poll is gone so I can't be sure, but the posts in the thread seemed to be leaning towards Patrick McNally over Dylan Sadowy and Kevin Labanc

2016
We had a top 15 here:
1) Meier
2) Goldobin
3) Roy
4) Mueller
5) Kevin Labanc
6) Marcus Sorensen
7) Maxim Letunov
8) Chartier
9) Dylan Gambrell
10) Joakim Ryan
11) Noah Gregor
12) Brodzinski
13) O'Regan
14) Bergman
15) again there's no poll data left but most of the posts seem to be for Noah Rod. With a couple brave souls (not me) pushing Balcers

2018
I could only find as far as #8
1) Ryan Merkely
2) Rudolfs Balccers
3) Gambrell
4) Josh Norris
5) Mario Ferraro
6) Sasha Chmelevski
7) Antti Suomela
8) Ivan Chekhovich


So all in all I think the 2021 pool is looking pretty good in comparison

 

[Jargon]

The "correct" pronunciation of Kniazev/Knyazev (I like it better with the 'y', but that's just me) is whatever Artemi wants it to be. If he tells media people here to say it one way, that's fine even if it's not singularly correct in terms of how a Russian speaker would pronounce it. Remember, there was a point when there were two Michaleks in the league and each one pronounced their surname differently.

Or at least that would've been the case if Milan ever actually had a brother and this wasn't a shameful hoax.

source: a guy with a French last name that was anglicized when his family moved to Canada in like the 1910s and yet people still can't even get the anglicized version right, never mind the original French pronunciation.



I'm more amazed that we've made it to #6 in the poll and are still talking about guys with legitimate shots to be something of use/value at the NHL level instead of "if you squint maybe he ends up as a decent 3rd liner" type stuff.

Just for kicks, I went back and found as many old top prospect polls lists as I could scrounge up in 5 minutes of searching

***WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTENT IS SEVERELY DEPRESSING***​

The earliest I could find a set of polls for before the search results turned into post upon post upon post from prospect discussion threads was 2014. So just 7 years ago this was our top 10 as voted on by the community:

2014
1) Mirco Mueller
2) Nik Goldobin
3) Chris Tierney
4) Konrad Abeltshauser
5) Julius Bergman
6) Freddie Hamilton
7) Michael Brodzinski (ie not the one that ultimately played games for the sharks)
8) Dan O'Regan
9) Sean Kuraly
10) Noah Rod


a year later it was:

2015
1) Timo Meier
2) Goldobin
3) Jeremy Roy
4) Rourke Chartier
5) Joonas Donskoi
6) Bergman
7) O'Regan
8) Nikita Jevpalovs
9) Rod
10) The poll is gone so I can't be sure, but the posts in the thread seemed to be leaning towards Patrick McNally over Dylan Sadowy and Kevin Labanc

2016
We had a top 15 here:
1) Meier
2) Goldobin
3) Roy
4) Mueller
5) Kevin Labanc
6) Marcus Sorensen
7) Maxim Letunov
8) Chartier
9) Dylan Gambrell
10) Joakim Ryan
11) Noah Gregor
12) Brodzinski
13) O'Regan
14) Bergman
15) again there's no poll data left but most of the posts seem to be for Noah Rod. With a couple brave souls (not me) pushing Balcers

2018
I could only find as far as #8
1) Ryan Merkely
2) Rudolfs Balccers
3) Gambrell
4) Josh Norris
5) Mario Ferraro
6) Sasha Chmelevski
7) Antti Suomela
8) Ivan Chekhovich


So all in all I think the 2021 pool is looking pretty good in comparison

Wow that’s … that’s… it’s just… that’s so… it’s….

 

[The Nemesis]

Wow that’s … that’s… it’s just… that’s so… it’s….

It sure is.

 

[Patty Ice]

The earliest I could find a set of polls for before the search results turned into post upon post upon post from prospect discussion threads was 2014. So just 7 years ago this was our top 10 as voted on by the community:

Got a link to those threads? I'm interested in reading them but Im getting nada with HF's janky search.

 

[The Nemesis]

Got a link to those threads? I'm interested in reading them but Im getting nada with HF's janky search.

The years in my last post take you to the last thread I could find in each set. I didn't save anything before them because it was random which threads popped up and what order I found them in. I'm not even sure I came across the full set of every thread for every ranked player listed above.

 

[The Nemesis]

for what it's worth I just searched "Prospect" limited to this board only and only to thread titles. It comes back with like 10,000 results, but after about the 8th or 9th page it's just repeats of posts from the same threads (this set of polls or the basic prospect discussion sticky)

 

[Patty Ice]

for what it's worth I just searched "Prospect" limited to this board only and only to thread titles. It comes back with like 10,000 results, but after about the 8th or 9th page it's just repeats of posts from the same threads (this set of polls or the basic prospect discussion sticky)

That's exactly what I did but I got two pages of results up to last years polls

Although I typed "prospect" not "Prospect" Time to experiment...

 

[themelkman]

The "correct" pronunciation of Kniazev/Knyazev (I like it better with the 'y', but that's just me) is whatever Artemi wants it to be. If he tells media people here to say it one way, that's fine even if it's not singularly correct in terms of how a Russian speaker would pronounce it. Remember, there was a point when there were two Michaleks in the league and each one pronounced their surname differently.

Or at least that would've been the case if Milan ever actually had a brother and this wasn't a shameful hoax.

source: a guy with a French last name that was anglicized when his family moved to Canada in like the 1910s and yet people still can't even get the anglicized version right, never mind the original French pronunciation.

As a guy with an seriously anglicized Flemish last name that is always butchered, im with you that all that matters is what the dude wants his name to be. Im sure he will let the cuda announcers know, which will carry to the sharks.

 

[themelkman]

That's exactly what I did but I got two pages of results up to last years polls

Although I typed "prospect" not "Prospect" Time to experiment...

I know that I ran one of the years sets, but couldnt tell you which one. Think we went to like 20 and people were fed up with voting on nothing guys.

 

[Desert Eagle]

The "correct" pronunciation of Kniazev/Knyazev (I like it better with the 'y', but that's just me) is whatever Artemi wants it to be. If he tells media people here to say it one way, that's fine even if it's not singularly correct in terms of how a Russian speaker would pronounce it.

I’m sorry, but you are wrong here. “Knyazev” is one of the simplest last names in Russia, you can’t pronounce it in different ways. Knyazev = knyaz (there is no correct translate in English, this word translates like “prince” or “king of the some territory”) + “ev” (one of the Russian ends means “son of the”) so this last name can’t be pronounced another way. Check again link I posted, it is the only correct pronounce of his last name.
“Knyzhov” is a much more difficult to pronounce because I heard 4 different options/ways from Russians. We definitely should pronounce “K”, that’s all I can say.

 

[The Nemesis]

I’m sorry, but you are wrong here. “Knyazev” is one of the simplest last names in Russia, you can’t pronounce it in different ways. Knyazev = knyaz (there is no correct translate in English, this word translates like “prince” or “king of the some territory”) + “ev” (one of the Russian ends means “son of the”) so this last name can’t be pronounced another way. Check again link I posted, it is the only correct pronounce of his last name.
“Knyzhov” is a much more difficult to pronounce because I heard 4 different options/ways from Russians. We definitely should pronounce “K”, that’s all I can say.

If he asks the Sharks media people to pronounce it differently, who are you (or any of us) to tell him differently?

Almost no surname of any origin anywhere is pronounced 100% "correctly" outside of its native tongue (and sometimes not even inside of said tongue either). But the socially accepted convention is to defer to letting people in other languages do the best they can, or to give them a bit of help by allowing a more easily tackled variant.

The Michalek example I gave earlier is a totally real one: I remember a Sharks broadcast where it was brought up that at the time Milan was suggesting a pronunciation somewhere along the lines of "mih-HALL-eck" while Zbynek used a version that was more like "mih-CALL-eck". And all the while the true Czech pronunciation is kinda somewhere in between the two. But for the purposes of the people using the names neither was "wrong" because each was what that particular player wanted/asked for.

Or if we all went to Japan I can guarantee that basically nobody's name would be said properly. Every "Mark" would become something like "Maaku" and every "Alice" would be "Arisa". But we wouldn't badger the native Japanese speakers into saying the names better because they literally can't due to differences in how each language is constructed and what phonemes exist for one language but are lacked in another.

If Knyazev ends up approving the Sharks media people saying "NIGH-ah-zev" it doesn't matter how wrong that is to a native Russian. It's what will be used.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

His mama named him Artemi....ima call him Artemi.

 

[Desert Eagle]

If he asks the Sharks media people to pronounce it differently, who are you (or any of us) to tell him differently?

Almost no surname of any origin anywhere is pronounced 100% "correctly" outside of its native tongue (and sometimes not even inside of said tongue either). But the socially accepted convention is to defer to letting people in other languages do the best they can, or to give them a bit of help by allowing a more easily tackled variant.

The Michalek example I gave earlier is a totally real one: I remember a Sharks broadcast where it was brought up that at the time Milan was suggesting a pronunciation somewhere along the lines of "mih-HALL-eck" while Zbynek used a version that was more like "mih-CALL-eck". And all the while the true Czech pronunciation is kinda somewhere in between the two. But for the purposes of the people using the names neither was "wrong" because each was what that particular player wanted/asked for.

Or if we all went to Japan I can guarantee that basically nobody's name would be said properly. Every "Mark" would become something like "Maaku" and every "Alice" would be "Arisa". But we wouldn't badger the native Japanese speakers into saying the names better because they literally can't due to differences in how each language is constructed and what phonemes exist for one language but are lacked in another.

If Knyazev ends up approving the Sharks media people saying "NIGH-ah-zev" it doesn't matter how wrong that is to a native Russian. It's what will be used.

OMG. I’m Russian and I tell you that his last name is one of the simplest in Russia why you arguing with me? “Knyzhov” is a bit difficult last name, but “Knyazev” is not. I live all my life in Russia and I tell you, I met many people with this last name and there are not any other ways to pronounce this last name, it’s knyaz+ev. People may name the kid Jon, John, Jonnie, Jony, etc, but they can’t change this is typical Russian sourname. I watched many Russia U20 games with Knyazev and 100% commentators pronounce the same. I watched many sport events with other Russian sportsmans with this sourname. All pronounce are same.
Stop talking about Michalek. I talk about Russian last names and Russian rules, not Czech. Every language has different rules. Some last names may pronounce different, some are not. Knyazev is constant, but Knyzhov has different pronounces.

 

[OrrNumber4]

The "correct" pronunciation of Kniazev/Knyazev (I like it better with the 'y', but that's just me) is whatever Artemi wants it to be. If he tells media people here to say it one way, that's fine even if it's not singularly correct in terms of how a Russian speaker would pronounce it. Remember, there was a point when there were two Michaleks in the league and each one pronounced their surname differently.

Damn straight. It's his name. He should expect people to pronounce it as he wants it.

I'm more amazed that we've made it to #6 in the poll and are still talking about guys with legitimate shots to be something of use/value at the NHL level instead of "if you squint maybe he ends up as a decent 3rd liner" type stuff.

Just for kicks, I went back and found as many old top prospect polls lists as I could scrounge up in 5 minutes of searching...

Is the 2021 list really better, or is it only so in hindsight? It's not like in 2014 people thought Hamilton and Bergman were garbage. People were pretty sanguine about the prospect pool, outside the lack of a truly high-end prospect (save for Meier). Everyone thought Brodzinski and Rod were high-floor guys, that O'Regan was a sleeper, that Ryan and Mueller were sure-fire top-4 guys...etc.

Eklund is a platinum prospect: high ceiling, high chance to meet that ceiling, and a high floor (toss some salt). There's no other prospect in the system with a high ceiling and a high chance of reaching it. I think the only other Sharks's prospects who have a high ceiling with a decent (~25%) chance of reaching it are Dahlin, Merkley, and Gaudreau...and they all have (very) low floors.

Everyone is really high on Bordeleau, Wiesblatt, and Kniazev...but first look at the profiles of players like O'Regan, Gregor, and Abeltshauser...

Ending on a note of optimism...there are always players like Knyzhov, Ferraro, Leonard, Simek, etc. who blow out expectations. There are a bunch of draftees this year who didn't get to play much; they have more of a "mystery box" feel to them. Look to see them crushing their junior/college competition as an indication of future NHL semi-stardom.

 

[Sharksrule04]

Can someone explain the Kniazev hype to me? He hasn't really done that well for me to consider him as an upper echelon prospect.

How has he not done that well? He's performed at multiple levels last year, including being one of Russia's better players at the WJC. He played very well in the QMJHL last year and in Russia. Also he just looks like a modern day defenseman if you watch him. Smooth skater, holds the point well, slick passes and good hockey IQ. I don't think anyone is calling him an upper echelon prospect but I think he will be a top 4 d-man at the NHL level. I agree with most that he's interchangeable with Guschin, Robins and maybe even Blichfeld at this point. Hatakka could be thrown into that group but he doesn't have much offensive upside.

 

[Sharksrule04]

Kniazev I'm fairly confident is knee-ah-zev as I've heard Russians announcers say it this way. Knyzhov is kuh-knee-zhov, which I think Randy highlighted enough last year. I will only accept Russian's telling me otherwise .

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Kniazev is great with the puck, and could be a guy to run one of our powerplays in the future. He's actually pretty perfect moving forward in the sense he's very good at getting the puck up the ice and most of our forward prospects thrive on the rush. I see him becoming a solid 2nd pair guy in his prime, and he can sit at the top of the point for either powerplay unit.

The other option here, Guschin is pretty much just a boom/bust guy. He is tiny, but also a human highlight reel. If you look at his thread in the main prospect board...some thought he could challenge Lafrenier for first overall and was THE russian of the 2020 draft. Obviously things changed, and I can't wait to see him in the OHL(?) this year, as I'll be attending a lot of games (so expect updates on Guschin, Coe, Cardwell, Gaudreau, and the London boys)