Why doesn't Russia develop more elite defenseman?

[Team_Spirit]

Here's my theory:

Only the flashy offensive guys get drafted to the NHL, and most flashy offensive players in Russia play forward since they have a different hockey culture.

Explain Simashev before Michkov then

 

[WarriorofTime]

That's because it's easier to make a U22 team. Really I was including current Russian NHLers.

What current Russian defencemen make Canada, USA or Sweden - Maybe Sergachev?

Russia doesn't have a single defenceman in any top 20 list I've seen.

True, at same time, there are 7 Russians amongst top 100 NHL DMen in ATOI (100 / 32 = 3.125 per team). There are Top 4 guys out there at present even without a superstar. Enough guys that could "hang in there" so to speak. Sergachev appears to be the number 1 in Utah, so we'll see by end of year how he stacks up and if he can crack some "top 20" list.

 

[MadLuke]

After Patrick Roy 1986 cup win, Quebec was quite prevalent among young NHL goaltenders and during the 90s drafts, maybe Roy popularity had some small impact:

NHL Stats

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11 goaltenders, 7 had more than 25 games, Luongo-Giguere-Fichaud coming up

Similar to the bigger Ontario:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

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13 goaltenders, 5 with 25 or mores, with Legace coming up

A bit like the best Canadians players gravited more toward center than winger in some era than others, when Richard-Howe were the big stars versus Gretzky-Lemieux.

Since Fetisov...not much big superstar at that position, I imagine kids growing up the last 20-30 years, were more looking at the Datsyuk-Kucherov-Kovalev-Panarin-Mogilny-Fedorov-Kovalchuck-Bure-Ovechkin-Malkin and dreamed to be them.

 

[Silky Johnson]

True, at same time, there are 7 Russians amongst top 100 NHL DMen in ATOI (100 / 32 = 3.125 per team). There are Top 4 guys out there at present even without a superstar. Enough guys that could "hang in there" so to speak. Sergachev appears to be the number 1 in Utah, so we'll see by end of year how he stacks up and if he can crack some "top 20" list.

No doubt the Russians have serviceable top 4 defencemen. They are one of the hockey powers.

They are however, FAR from the top tier of the USA, Canada and to Sweden. They are near the top on other positions, so it is notable that they do not seem to be developing Dmen & Centers like they do wingers and goalies. Hence the thread.

It's like Canada and goalies right now, sort of strange.

 

[chris kontos]

A REAL defenseman. One of the greats. The robocop- vladimir konstantinov.
Thank you for this

 

[57special]

They are more into invading.