2002 WJC Russian Player Review
At the 2002 World Under-20 Junior Championships this past January, Russia defeated
Canada to capture their second gold medal in the last four years. Eugene Belashchenko,
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an authority on Russian prospects, takes an in-depth look at each player on
the gold medal-winning club.
GOALTENDERS
Medvedev, Calgary Flames
Medvedev was Team Russia's starting goalie. Andrei had a very solid tournament.
He played with more confidence then at the 4 Nations Tournament. He played very
well against Finland both in the preliminary round and in the semifinals. His
physical conditioning still gave him trouble, especially in the finals, where
the wear started to show a little bit. However, he did not get pulled in the
second period of his worst performance of the tournament because of fatigue
- he let in three unlucky goals on rebounds. Throughout the tournament he played
a fairly conservative style of hockey - cutting off angles and skating out of
the crease to face shooters, but rarely leaving the net to handle the puck.
He also relied on his reflexes, especially on the glove side.
Sergei Mylnikov, Undrafted
Mylnikov played well when called upon. It is very surprising he did not get
drafted in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft when he was first eligible. He was the fifth
ranked European goaltender during the midseason. He did not appear to have as
much of raw talent Medvedev, but played a very mature game. His style was more
conservative then Medvedev - he stayed deeper in the net. According to an observer
from the games, one asset that Sergei definitely had was the respect and trust
of his teammates.
DEFENSEMEN
Denis Grebeshkov, Eligible for 2002 NHL Entry Draft
Grebeshkov played on the second defensive pairing with the team's captain, Anton
Volchenkov. Denis was very mobile, displaying great puck handling and skating
ability. Denis showed a lot of hockey sense and impressive vision of the ice.
He however was not very physical and according to an observer from the tournament,
he needs to bulk up and add some upper body strength. Denis also did not shoot
the puck enough. According to an observer from the tournament, Denis was benched
in the second period of the final game against Canada for unknown reasons. He
did return in the third period, which leads to the possibility that he could
have been injured.
Knyazev, Carolina Hurricanes
Knyazev has had quite an interesting season thus far. First he suffered an injury
in Carolina's training camp and stayed in the US to heal the injury. Next Spartak
trades him to Ak Bars after the relationship between the head coach and Igor
soured. Putting all the controversy behind him, Igor stabilized Ak Bars' defense
and played great hockey. He brought that same level of hockey to the U20 WJC.
He was responsible on defense, and also joined in on offense at the right moments.
Igor led all defensemen in goals with two and showed a knack for quarterbacking
the power-play and great passing ability. Igor did have a poor showing at the
last game vs. Canada. He was on the ice every time the Canadian team scored
and Vladimir Plyuschev even benched him during the first period. Anton Volchenkov
was the better defenseman in this tournament, but Knyazev impressed everyone
and was named to the first all-star team.
Kondratiev, Toronto Maple Leafs
Maxim had a good tournament. He played on the third defensive pairing with Team
Russia's assistant captain Vladimir Korsunov. In the tournament, Maxim was a
dependable defensive defenseman without much offensive upside. Maxim played
on the second power play and shorthanded units, but did not get much ice time
on the power play, as Volchenkov-Grebeshkov-Knyazev-Tjutin played most of the
time in those situations. He played solid defense for the most part, but was
prone to making mistakes in some games. Maxim played physical hockey, though
he will need to bulk up to sustain it at a higher level. Offensively, Maxim
did have a couple of impressive passes down the ice, but did not show much else.
Korsunov, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Korsunov was the offensive minded defenseman that complemented Maxim Kondratiev
on the third defensive pairing. Vladimir played well on offense, but he needs
to improve his defensive skills. According to an observer from the tournament,
he also needs to work on his skating, -- Alexander's strides appeared to be
uneven and he would move faster with improved foot-speed. Vladimir was one of
two assistant captains for the Russian team, which in it's displayed the coach's
faith and team's trust in his leadership abilities. Vladimir played physical
hockey, but he lacked the strength sufficient for effective body checking. He
often used his stick to stop the opponent and on several occasions got called
for crosschecking. Vladimir's place on the team was in accordance to his abilities.
He was the fifth or sixth best defenseman on the team.
Sapozhnikov, Florida Panthers
Vladimir paired up with Zabolotnev on Team Russia's fourth defensive pairing.
He, along with Zabolotnev received very limited ice time. Unlike Zabolotnev,
Sapozhnikov did not make the most of his ice time and had a sub par tournament.
He finished with a poor -2 +/- rating and was scratched for all but three games.
He was slow on the ice and did not show any of the expected offensive upside.
He really was Russia's 8th defenseman.
Tjutin, New York Rangers
Prior to the tournament, there was a great concern that the Russian team will
not have the chance to utilize its talented players that have crossed the ocean
to North America since the draft. Those concerns were lifted when Fedor Tjutin
was given permission to leave his OHL team and agreed to join Team Russia. Fedor
played on Russia's first line along with Igor Knyazev. Though he was given a
lot of ice time and opportunities on the power play, the real Fedor Tjutin did
not show up until the game against Finland in the semi finals. Part of the reason
for his behavior could have been the coaching instructions he received. It appears
Tjutin was given the defensive defenseman assignment, while Igor Knyazev fulfilled
the offensive responsibilities of the first defensive pairing. It is unclear
as to how happy Fedor was with his role. He did not show the tenacity and physical
presence that he was know for from the U18 WJC last May and from his days with
SKA St. Petersburg in the Russian Super League. In the quarterfinals Fedor scored
his only goal and only point of the tournament, which is quite strange for a
player who scored a lot in the OHL all season. Judging by his play, one observer
at the tournament went as far as to say that Tjutin "had not developed
in the OHL at all, maybe even declined". Despite all the lackluster aspects
of his offensive game, Fedor did lead all Russian defensemen with the +/- of
+4.
Volchenkov, Ottawa Senators
Volchenkov was Team Russia's captain and he fit the role very well. A leader
on and off the ice, he showed up every game. Anton played physical hockey and
did not make any mistakes in his own zone. Vladimir Plyuschev used him extensively
on the first defensive pairing with Denis Grebeshkov in almost every situation.
He got lots of ice time on even strength, power play and short handed. The Volchenkov-Grebeshkov-Frolov-Nepriayev-Polushin
line was Russia's first power play unit. Anton's four points lead Russia's defensemen.
According to an observer, he played well offensively, passing the puck well
and using his hard shot. One other observation another observer made was that
Anton was a bit overweight and needed to lose a few pounds to improve his mobility.
Overall, Anton was one of Russia's top players. He was named to the tournament's
second All Star team and proved he earned the captaincy.
Andrei Zabolotnev, Undrafted
Zabolotnev is a defensive defenseman. He stayed in his own zone the entire tournament.
According to one observer he appeared to be eager to mix it up physically, but
on some occasions did not think an action through before acting on it and caused
his team some grief. Despite his eagerness to play the physical game, Andrei's
smaller size reduced his effectiveness. Nevertheless, not a single goal was
scored against Team Russia while he was on the ice.
FORWARDS
Chistov, LW, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Chistov showed no rust from the ordeal he endured since being forcefully drafted
into the army. Stanislav was Russia's most skilled forward. He showed off he
renowned ability to set up line mates as well as his ability to score. His shot,
though not as hard as Volchenkov's, was extremely accurate. Chistov showed great
mobility with speed and excellent puckhandling. His hockey sense is very mature
for a player his age. Stanislav sees the ice well and set up his line mates
on numerous scoring chances. The only negative aspect of his game that arose
from the WJC was his hesitation to play physical hockey. According to observers
from the tournament, he did not fight for the puck in the corners or along the
boards. While he did have a sizable force on his line for that in Alexander
Svitov, a concern still exists regarding his ability to play well a physical
environment.
Frolov, LW, Los Angeles Kings
Alexander Frolov was Russia's offensive powerhouse. After not fairing well at
the Four Nations Tournament, Alexander returned with a vengeance. He showed
impressive balance between physical toughness, skill and size. Alexander showed
the reason why he is one of the top scorers in the Super League this season.
He handled the puck well and showed off his great shot. According to one of
the observers from the tournament, Alexander's most effective shooting spot
was the slot. Alexander Frolov lead the Russian team in scoring and was named
to the tournament's second all star team.
Grigorenko, RW, Detroit Red Wings
Grigorenko had a solid first showing at the U20 WJC. He started the tournament
on the top line with Alexander Perezhogin and Andrei Taratukhin, but was promoted
to the top line for the playoffs when his line disintegrated with Taratukhin
underachieving and Perezhogin suffering an injury. He showed huge offensive
potential and showcased his impressive skating and puckhandling skills. He created
plenty of scoring chances for himself - his 18 shots were the most on the team.
However, all except one did not reach their intended target. Igor's shot needs
work; it was not well aimed well and was often lacked power. Defensively, Igor
was not a liability, but more of a non factor.
Nepriayev, C, Washington Capitals
Nepriayev played on Russia's most stable line along with Alexander Frolov and
Alexander Polushin on his wings. He is a natural center and showcased his excellent
passing skills. He did not score a single goal in the tournament, despite having
several great chances. According to an observer from the tournament, as a result
of his lack of production, it appeared that Ivan was a bit frustrated and took
a couple of questionable penalties. Ivan was Russia's second best center of
the tournament.
Perezhogin, LW, Montreal Canadiens
Alexander started the tournament on Russia's second line, but only managed to
play three games before suffering an injury in the fourth game. He was really
a non factor in most games - lacking any offensive production. He plummeted
in the team's depth prior to his injury and received little ice time to improve
his performance. His overall performance was poor compared to the previous tournaments.
Polushin, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Polushin was Russia's best two way forward. He played wing on the line with
Ivan Nepriayev at center and Alexander Frolov on the left wing. The three players
formed Team Russia's third line in the round robin, but the line was clearly
Russia's best and was promoted to second in the playoffs. Alexander was one
of Team Russia's most consistent players. He gave all he had each time he stepped
on the ice. Alexander was very responsible defensively. He did not hesitate
to work for the puck in the corners and boards. He was the only forwards to
not have the unpleasant experience of being on the ice when the other team scored.
Offensively, Alexander does not hesitate to drive towards the net. He has solid
individual skills, but his physical tenacity and drive usually earned him his
points.
Soin, C/W, Colorado Avalanche
Sergei Soin showed great physical ability and talent. However, while he showed
his skating and puck handling, he also continued to show his inability to share.
He started the tournament on the fourth line, but was then moved to the third
line for the playoffs. He first played center and proved able, but not natural
in that role. Once moved to the wing, his game improved. He has a solid shot,
but did not use it enough in the tournament. According to an observer, Sergei
also needs to play better defensively and become more aggressive, though he
tried hard in the "grinder" role. Alexander had an average tournament
and it remains to be seen if he can learn to be a team player.
Suglobov, RW, New Jersey Devils
For a player who has been commented by some to have super skills and little
hockey sense, Alexander had an impressive tournament, considering the expectations.
He started the tournament on the fourth line with Ruslan Zainullin and Sergei
Soin. He used his size well, skated well and displayed solid defensively. Alexander
also showed an precise wrist shot. He did not use his line mates enough, but
his hockey sense has developed well since the draft year. During the playoffs
he was promoted to Russia's third line and played along side of Andrei Taratukhin,
while Sergei Soin was moved to the wing, his natural position. Alexander showed
a lot of potential and should have gotten more ice time.
Svitov, C, Tampa Bay Lightning
While it appeared that Stanislav Chistov put his frustration behind him and
played one of the best tournaments of his career, Alexander Svitov was not as
fortunate. Almost the entire time he was on the ice, Alexander played physical,
but often questionable style of hockey. Alexander often used his size advantage,
but did not showcase the skill level that made him more then just a big guy.
He did produce, but is capable of much more. Alexander started the tournament
on the first line with Stanislav Chistov, but finished on the third line responsible
for physical defensive play. Alexander Svitov took too me unnecessary penalties,
but represented a physical presence that Russia needed. He was suspended for
two games due to an incident in the game against Canada. Alexander is entering
dangerous territory - his skills are not yet sufficiently developed and he is
beginning to increasingly rely on his size, instead of his talent. This may
carry him through in competition against his peers, or even the Super League,
but will not be enough for the NHL.
Taratukhin, C, Calgary Flames
Taratukhin played the entire tournament on Russia's mobile, defense oriented
third line. It appears that Andrei may have taken his defensive responsibilities
a bit too seriously. Though he was intense, Andrei's careless penalties were
often uncalled for. According to an observer from the tournament he often resorted
to dirty illegal hits rather then play straight up physical hockey and as a
result incurred some costly penalties. His potential is unquestionable, but
Andrei's behavior at the tournament was quite different compared to what was
expected from this highly skilled forward. Andrei did not fare well at the tournament
and compared to the expectations, he delivered one of the poorest performances.
Trubachev, C, Calgary Flames
Trubachev did not start the tournament well. In the beginning of the tournament
he was completely miscast by Plyuschev in the grinding winger role. Once playing
center again, Yuri's intensity reached a new high and he was all over the ice.
Yuri showed impressive passing skills and was one of Russia's best centers.
His skating and speed were great. Defensively, Yuri played excellent two way
hockey. One observer believed he Russia's best center.
Zainullin, RW, Atlanta Thrashers
Ruslan was never expected to be a big factor at the WJC. He played the entire
tournament on Russia's fourth line and did not show anything that merited a
promotion. According to an observer from the tournament, he had trouble keeping
up with the pace of the game and did not play well defensively. He has the size
and the talent to develop into a solid two way player, but the tournament made
it quite apparent how far away he is from being NHL ready. Nevertheless, it
was an achievement for Ruslan to make the Russian junior squad ad get some ice
Click time, since he has never been a consistent member of the Russian National Team. Here to view this Link.
Special thanks to Eugene Belashchenko for allowing us to re-publish these articles.
The originals can be found on Eugene's web site at: www.russianprospects.com