Top Russian Prospects from the KHL: Who's Coming Over in 2019?
- Thread starter Caser
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Caser
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Caser
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Dmitriy Zhukenov has re-signed with Metallurg Novokuznetsk in the VHL for 2 years.
In other news, reportedly Rykov signed with NYR, but no official announcement yet somehow.
In other news, reportedly Rykov signed with NYR, but no official announcement yet somehow.
Hunter Gathers
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EXTRAS
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Caser
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I think at this point the question is if he will be able to play at the more or less decent level of pro hockey at all (at least the VHL I mean).
Caser
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ProspectsSTC
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What does it have to with the draft?
That Kucherov guy was too talented to bust, but his development got stalled too by the wasted time in the CHL/AHL.
Merci Saku
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How did he waste time???
He dominated in junior, dominated in the AHL, got in the NHL and took a couple of years to elite status,
That’s a great development plan
A great development plan is to not play junior when he doesn't need to play junior. not to play in a lower tier league like the AHL with scrubs when he doesn't need to. He basically wasted time he could have used to develop in a better environment.
Merci Saku
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Seems like you just trying to whine for nothing,
It’s not like his development wasn’t a success. He learn and dominated each step.
Maybe he wouldn’t be so dominant now if it wasn’t for that, we’ll never know
What we do know is that he’s an elite talent that has been developed properly from 2011 to 2019, junior, ahl, ok rookie nhl, triplets line to top forward on the team
He has noþ been developed properly. Period. He could have been better. Period.
ProspectsSTC
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Really? So if someone told you when he was drafted that in 2019 he'd put up 128 points, you'd say "he should be putting up more"?
He should have been putting up more 6 years ago, 5 years ago and so on. When he was drafted he was expected to put up 100+pts by people with a brain and knowledge.
ProspectsSTC
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If you can point me in the direction of a single 100 point prediction from when he was drafted, I'd be more inclined to believe you. As of right now, this seems more like hindsight where it isn't even necessary, since I can't imagine him developing into a more effective player than he is right now.
LOL Your NHL pros drafted him at 58. That means people who get paid a lot of money to be the best at evaluating players were dumb enough. All of them as he wasn't drafted by any team in the first. What can I expect from all sorts of "analysts" and "experts" then?
Live with it. NHL "experts" are just hot garbage when it comes to evaluatuing russian prospects. And NA people tend to be deaf to anything outside the bigger NHL (media)community. A lot of people in Russia knew how good he is. But who'd listen to them in the NHL? NHL is the center of the hockey universe chest pump.
In hindsight I see again and again how that CHL/AHL route is hurting the development of Russians. It was painful to watch Kucherov go through what he was going through in his first years in NA, when he was treated like... a 58th pick. Eventually a guy with that talent will come out on top anyway... after years wasted on "proving" whatever, but how many less talented guys got wasted in that pipeline?
I also know that Kucherov's situation was special(every singe development path is in a way too). He was with a bad org in the KHL at the time and him leaving was different from many other cases. He could have chosen like Gusev, his linemate. And there is that thing about Gusev. He never was projected to be close to what he is now. Grigorenko(the 3rd man on that line) was projected to be the 2nd best out of the three(again, spare me the NHL "analysts" and GMs who drafted the three. I am talking about people who actually watched the three guys develop in Russia). Yet Gusev went the smart KHL route. Went to a bad KHL team where he could get a bigger role, earned his spurs(and a contract with a KHL powerhouse) and continued developing into what he is now. So however special Kucherov's situation was, Grigorenko and Gusev were in the same boat. Gusev did everything right so far. Grigorenko on the other hand... He is one of the guys I mentioned. A talent wasted.
And again, out of the three guys it was always obvious that Kucherov is special and is going to be an elite player. Not to NHL's asshats apparently, but what do I care? If they don't listen they will continue effing it up with Russians.
ProspectsSTC
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I wasn't asking for proof of NHL staff predicting 100 point seasons. I was asking for an example from "people with a brain and knowledge". So can you pull up an example please?
How about a cold hard fact istead? That was before the draft.
2011 IIHF World U18 Championships - Wikipedia
ProspectsSTC
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Excellent. Now for those 100 point predictions? Should be easy, just find anyone with a brain and knowledge.
ProspectsSTC
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It wasn't, but there were many factors, like him wanting out of his KHL org, which left him little room, but to take on the useless CHL/AHL stint. It is not the north american coaches' fault by the way. They don't know better. They have their ways. Why should they change them for Kucherov?
He shouldn't have wasted time in the CHL in the first place, but there was no other way if he decided to come to NA. So it is basically a consequence of his decision. He also throughout his career faced a lot of controversy, starting at home and then in NA. God alone knows what could have been if he would develop properly on both sides of the pond. Maybe he was a bit of a late bloomer because his ceiling became obvious at 17 or maybe even 18 and not 15 like with some other future stars. He's had to face the size controversy. When he was growing up on both sides of Atlantic people were obsessed with big, gritty players. But by the time he dominated the MHL and the U18 WHC it was very obvious that he is not just the best of them, but special.
zukezuchegno
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