Draft Update: Russia Review
Dominated the tournament as expected and were able to finish it off with authority in the medal round as Evgeni Malkin led by example .. majority of the players showcased excellent work ethic and impressed with their understanding of the team system .. if there was a team unsung hero award, it would go to Kirill Lyamin who showed that he could stand his ground at either end of the ice.
Key Player notes:
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Started all of Russia’s games and was solid despite a bumpy performance against Norway, allowing four goals .. scored a goal to seal a victory in the quarterfinal against Finland .. inconsistency has been doggin him .. a smallish, positionally adept goalie, but lacking focus in the odd game .. looks like a world beater in one game and completely mentally absent in another .. skating is rough, which limits his quickness in and out of the crease .. otherwise a gifted puck handler .. excellent glove hand and gets up and down sharply on the butterfly .. aggressive and likes to challenge shooters.
U18 WC Totals (GP6, 4-0-2, 2.17, 0 SO, .914)
Very graceful and mobile for his size .. has a booming slap shot and very good hockey sense .. willing to join the rush and calculates his offensive involvement wisely .. shows no mercy in his own end; delivers punishing body checks .. reliable in his own end; showed great positional knowledge and poise .. surprised with sharp vision when in control of the puck .. jelled well with defensive mate Evgeny Biryukov and the star Malkin; excellent verbal communication.
U18 WC Totals (6-1-0-1-20 +2)
Started off slowly, but took the bull by the horns in the medal round, when it mattered .. an all-around package with a spacious body and elite offensive range .. took care impressively of both ends of the ice, especially against Canada and the United States .. a threat whenever he’s on the ice .. excellent endurance, plays a no-quit style .. when the puck is on his stick, he turns on the jets and drives to the net .. excellent vision; sees guys out the corner of his eye and can set them up when least expected .. not a prototypical power forward; needs to add bulk and handles his duties well physically, but can’t yet be called imposing .. puts on a stickhandling clinic, but astonished with his craftiness and presence of mind to avoid overhandling the puck.
U18 WC Totals (6-4-4-8-31 +4)
Roman Voloshenko, RW
Communicated very well with sniper Alexander Radulov .. top scorer at the tournament with 11 points .. scored the clutch go-ahead (2-1) goal against the United States .. always creates scoring chances when on the ice .. excellent vision, poise and uncanny ability to set up and finish all in one .. excellent positionally; picks his spot in the offensive zone like a pro, which has been the key to his success .. a fluid skater who did not find himself behind the play much, despite an aforementioned lack of great speed .. an excellent complimentary forward with brains, but lack of top-notch mobility should keep him down in the rankings a bit.
U18 WC Totals (6-5-6-11-18 +6)
The most impressive Russian in the group stage, before Malkin took over thereafter .. not as effective in the medal round; was no longer the main man and seemed to lose some of his drive .. excellent chemistry with Voloshenko .. has deceptive mobility .. surprised as a gifted playmaker, in a way like Zherdev who was a better passer than originally advertised .. elite vision and mind-boggling stickhandling skills .. too pretty sometimes, like a ballerina and that hurts him .. needs to simplify his game and drive the net .. not physical in style, but didn’t get intimidated .. stock remains high, but he’s got ways to go.
U18 WC Totals (6-2-5-7-2 +7)
Denis Parshin, LW
Failed to meet expectations .. lacks size and got outmuscled regularly .. a creative, brainy forward who lacks the sufficient meanness to stand out as he’s capable .. deceptively quick; an above-average skater .. not strong enough along the boards to pin bigger, stronger opponents .. mature and impressed with good work ethic .. impressive vision; makes crisp, well-placed feeds to linemates .. consider him unlikely to go in the first couple of rounds.
U18 WJC Total (6-0-3-3-0 +2)
Caught our eye earlier this year and did not disappoint this time around .. the realiable rearguard is a calming influence when he’s on the ice, but did not play enough to stand out on a team playing a highly systematic style .. Lyamin’s return to the team after an injury explains the declining minutes .. was the more reliable side on the third pairing with the erratic Sergei Karetin .. physical although not as punishing as he’s capable .. settled in very well into his role; was not relied upon to carry the puck much, but cleared the zone effectively and dumped the puck in sharply when needed .. a very sturdy kid, but it was hard to pinpoint his offensive upside .. will get long looks in the second round.
U18 WJC Total (6-0-0-0-10 0)
Dmitri Shitikov, RW
The downward spiral contrinues .. seemed to reinforce the perception that his success depends in large part to his teammates .. a skilled playerwith soft hands who lacks the requisite hockey sense, size and top-notch mobility to create by himself .. tends to overhandle the puck, refusing to share with his linemates .. amassed three goals in the tournament, but benefitted by good fortune on most of them .. wanes on the periphery too much .. looks like a late rounder at best right now.
U18 WJC Total (6-3-1-4-6 10)
Mysterious forward showcased impressive dangle and a bright mind, despite minimal icetime .. surprising wingspan despite a lack of size; an excellent stickhandler .. excellent hands .. great agility, a quick first step .. able to sneak into open areas due to deceptive manoeuvrability and explosiveness .. can fire the puck quickly and accurately at top speed .. defensive and physical game are a wash; mostly avoids traffic areas .. a popular flavour currently among the scouts and there is enough to like, assuming that he continues to round out his game at a pace like this season.
U18 WJC Total (6-3-0-3 4 +3)