EUROPE: CHL Import Players - Czech

CHL Import Players – Czech Republic (posted 8.2.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Jakub Voracek (2007), RW

Scouting: a solid though not beautiful skater with okay footspeed and acceleration.. does not use an overly effective stride, but gets from place A to place B in an acceptable time .. could use a bigger top-end speed .. solid stickhandling skills .. corrals passes smoothly .. okay hand-eye coordination .. can cycle the puck in the offensive zone,

looking for passing opportunities .. plays with his head up .. solid creativity with the puck .. an accurate passer .. makes accurate passes off the top of his stick blade .. finds the open man with regularity .. decent in-close finishing skills .. can be patient once on a scoring chance, waiting for the goaltender to make the move .. a belligerent drive

to the net is one of the strongest weapons of his offensive array .. decent array of shots .. uses primarily his fast-released accurate snap shot .. can be persistent around the goal area .. can score goals in both the garbage and finesse way .. often executes in the opposing slot, looking for loose rebounds .. okay aggressiveness and tenaciousness .. can

barrel through the opposing players .. a decent hitter along the boards who does not back down from battling bigger opponents .. okay timing of his hits .. returns back to help out the defense but is still raw in this asset .. marks his man adequately fast .. should stay more in position when performing in the defensive end.

CHL outlook: the first overall Import pick will make a very good major junior player .. his style of play and talent will help him to become an immediate boost of the team after coming over and a potential QMJHL star player in the future seasons .. should adapt to the QMJHL style in a short time and is not expected to battle severe adjustment pains ..

likely to be counted on as one of the main offensive weapons of the team .. got ready for his coming to Halifax during the whole previous season and picked up on his English knowledge

Ondrej Roman (2007), C

Scouting: a solid skater with a smooth fluid stride .. able to reach top speed quickly .. possesses an above-average agility and acceleration .. okay first-step quickness and footspeed .. should upgrade on lower-body strength and balance .. a very good stickhandler .. can use the backhand side of the stick precisely when passing .. very smooth at corralling a difficult pass using either his stick or skates to gain possession .. boasts a very good vision and hockey sense .. utilizes on his strong playmaking skills .. aware of the positioning of his linemates .. patient with the puck, waiting for plays to unfold and then finding an open linemate .. crisp hard pinpoint passes on both short and long distance .. a good asset to a scorer .. decent finishing skills but can be occasionally careless .. likes to deke goalies in close .. fires an okay wrist shot .. hard accurate snap shot .. should use his slap shot to a bigger extent .. decent defensive awareness but still should improve in this asset .. marks his man quickly and stays with him .. not overly

aggressive, relies on smarts more than on toughness .. should improve on his traffic play .. can be occasionally rattled when the opponents play his body .. does not run the opponents over and is at his best on open ice .. fragility is a question mark.

CHL outlook: a player who can reach WHL stardom if he will be adapt to the more physical play but also end up as a major junior bust if he won't be able to get rid of his fragility and a penchant to avoid tight traffic areas .. should not be expected to score huge amounts of points in his rookie year, as he will need to adjust slowly .. could blossom after his rookie WHL campaign .. an intelligent player off the ice with decent English knowledge .. the cultural difference should not be such a significant adjustment as the difference in playing style

David Stich (2007), D

Scouting: a solid skater with a good balance .. solid lower-body strength .. possesses decent top-end speed, but his first-step quickness has still some way to go .. plays with a decent agility and lateral movement .. possesses an okay stride .. more of a defensive-minded blueliner .. shows reliable play in the defensive zone .. focuses on marking his

man quickly and taking him out of the play .. reads the opposing plays well and stays in position .. uses his stick to pinch the pucks from the opponents well .. displays a good mean streak and throws regular hard hits when he has a chance to finish his check .. a solid force on the penalty killing units .. plays with intelligence and maturity beyond his

age .. is tough to beat in one-on-one situations .. is not a significant offensive force, but is calm in puck possession and plays with his head up .. a decent puckhandler, but still could improve on this asset .. makes short passes of solid accuracy and does not panic with the puck, which leads to a minimum of mistakes .. does not take a chance on long outlet pass often .. unleashes a booming slap shot, but needs to upgrade on accuracy and keep it lower on the ice .. is strongly built .. can out power most of his opponents thanks to his above-average lower-body strength

CHL outlook: the already senior-proven Stich is very likely to skate as a top-four defenseman for the St. John's Sea Dogs .. will make a very good major junior player and a defensive anchor of his team in the future .. his talent and a rugged style of play enables his to adjust to the more physical play in a short time .. will serve as a dependable smart

gritty defenseman who will stabilize the defensive corps but should not be expected to score huge amounts of points during his junior career .. should further improve on his English knowledge to make the cultural transition easier

Radek Meidl (2007), C/RW

Scouting: a solid skater with okay footspeed .. solid acceleration .. above-average agility .. okay top-end speed .. decent lower-body strength .. okay stickhandling skills .. decent corralling of passes .. looks for passing opportunities but his vision is an issue .. average hockey sense .. can find the open man when passing on a short distance but is not very effective when passing on a long distance .. cannot control the play of the whole line .. better suited when performing at right wing .. decent aggressiveness despite average size .. a decent hitter along the boards who does not back down from battling bigger opponents .. drives the net hard .. needs to gain more bulk .. decent in-close finishing skills .. should be patient once on a scoring chance .. okay array of shots .. uses primarily his quick snap shot .. performs in the slot and looks for rebounds .. returns back to help out the defense but needs to further progress on his defensive awareness and show more intensity in

his own end .. should spot his man quickly and limit his options more effectively .. should further improve on his consistency .. a late '88 born forward.

CHL outlook: not a lock to succeed in the WHL .. his speed will be a strong asset of Meidl in major junior but will need to get used to having to show his grit and tenacity in every game and further upgrade on his playmaking skills to avoid a failure in the WHL .. possible to register one solid major junior season if he will learn how to play to his

strengths but is not likely to develop into a player who can score on the WHL level on a regular basis .. will need to adjust to the different culture and style of play slowly

Stanislav Polodna (2007), RW

Scouting: a solid skater with okay footspeed .. solid acceleration .. above-average agility .. okay top-end speed .. solid stickhandling skills .. can use both sides of the stick when passing .. decent corralling of passes .. looks for passing opportunities and shows adequate

creativity but is not a playmaking force .. an accurate passer who can find the open man when passing on a short distance .. solid aggressiveness despite modest size .. a decent hitter along the boards who does not back down from battling bigger opponents .. drives the net hard but does not run opponents over yet .. needs to gain more bulk .. solid in close

finishing skills .. can be adequately patient once on a scoring chance .. okay array of shots .. uses primarily his quick snap shot .. performs in the slot and looks for rebounds .. returns back to help out the defense but needs to further progress on his defensive awareness and show more intensity in his own end .. should spot his man quickly and limit his options more effectively ..

CHL outlook: stood in the shadows of the higher regarded trio of Voracek, Stich, and Roman, but can turn out to be a pleasant surprise .. should not be expected to turn into a prolific scorer during his rookie season, but should adapt to the different playing style without significant problems since his game should be translated well to the OHL .. should develop into a solid OHL player and one of the key forwards of his team after he gains the needed experience .. at this point should improve on his English knowledge

Daniel Bartek (2007), LW

Scouting: a decent skater with adequate bursts of speed and quickness .. still could use further upgrading of his stride .. adequate agility .. decent lower-body strength and balance .. a solid stickhandler with an acceptable dealing with difficult passes .. distributes passes from both sides of the stick .. a solid passer who can find the open man .. should further improve on his in-close finishing skills .. possesses only a limited variety of shots .. prefers the wrist or snap shot .. the slap shot needs to be more accurate and harder .. shows a commitment to the defensive play, but needs to work on this asset, especially on his positioning in the defensive zone .. battles for the pucks along the

boards and is willing to play in traffic .. tends to take an odd shift off in his determination .. positions himself in the slot regularly .. does not finish the checks very often despite decent size tools .. a late '88 born forward

CHL outlook: slower skating is likely to limit him during his major junior career but his impressive attitude and work ethic should enable Bartek to pick his overall game up to a level where he can stick on the major junior level .. is at his best when being able to set up a scorer .. not likely to register significant amounts of points during his junior career as he fits the mold of a decent but unspectacular player .. still could improve on his English knowledge

Jan Kolarik (2007), LW

Scouting: an adequate skater with an okay balance .. displays solid lower-body strength .. needs to further work on his agility, which does not allow him to bring the opposing defensemen out of position .. his gangly stride does not enable him to reach more than average top-end speed .. average acceleration and first-step quickness .. possesses decent

stickhandling skills .. is not a beautiful dangler but can corral the difficult passes adequately well .. average vision is limiting his effectiveness as a passer .. a strong finisher with a knack for scoring .. patient on the scoring chances .. unleashes a quick wrist shot .. fires a

heavy snap and slap shot with solid accuracy .. can score a garbage goal or make a nifty deke .. is willing to execute in all three zones .. occasionally willing to do the little things but should crash the net with a bigger determination .. adequate in filling his defensive duties .. cuts back on the backcheck quickly but is inconsistent in this asset ..

is willing to execute in traffic and dig for the pucks .. decent toughness .. throws the occasional hit, which can surprise the opponent .. poor attitude and work ethic .. a late '88 born forward

CHL outlook: his potential CHL success is largely depending on the fact whether he can be lined up with a playmaking center who will pass him the puck as he doesn't have the intangibles to create the chances on his own .. will need to upgrade on his attitude in order to become a good CHL player .. his nose for the net is a quality asset but Kolarik

remains a gamble Import pick who can turn out to be an above-average sniper or return to Europe soon if he will not pick up on his work ethic .. needs to upgrade on his English knowledge

Radek Vlasanek (2007), RW

Scouting: registers a steady progress in his skating but still will need to pick up on his acceleration and top-end speed .. decent first-step quickness .. his fluid stride shows that skating should not be a problem with him once he gains more bulk to the lower-body .. possesses above-average agility for a big man and can make decent cuts .. should make his impressive size to a bigger advantage .. his shy off-ice demeanor can be visible also on the ice occasionally as he is too much of a gentle giant at times .. possesses decent stickhandling skills .. capable of beating opponents in one-on-one situations .. could corral difficult passes more effectively but is not a liability in this asset .. should

hold on the puck for the extra second more for the plays to open up for him .. occasionally dumps the puck too quickly when pressed by an opponent .. willing to pass the puck just like shoot it .. decent release on the wrist shot .. okay hard accurate snap shot .. should upgrade on the release of the slap shot to make it less telegraphed .. possesses an okay defensive awareness .. returns to his own end often and showed

decent defensive positioning .. blocks the opposing passing lanes conscientiously .. stays with his man and limits his options .. still raw but registering a steady progress in his play .. a right shooting forward.

CHL outlook: likely to need a longer adjustment period but should turn out to be a solid QMJHL player once he settles down in the different environment .. missed one season due to knee injury and registers a steady progress in every season after his return, which should continue also in the QMJHL .. should not be expected to post whooping numbers but will provide decent scoring for his team mixed with a two-way play .. likely

to play his junior career as an above-average QMJHL player but not a star .. at this point is not a lock to come over already this summer, but his transfer to Baie-Comeau looks likely

Patrik Vrana (2007), D

Scouting: only an adequate skater .. should upgrade on his first-step quickness .. adequate acceleration .. should further work on top-end speed .. should keep his feet moving to be more effective against quick opponents .. decent lower-body strength and balance .. adequate turns and lateral movement .. more of a defensive-minded blueliner .. adequate

stickhandling skills .. prone to odd costly giveaways .. is not capable of quick dekes .. needs to corral the pucks more smoothly at a high tempo .. shows a limited offensive upside thanks to an average offensive vision .. prone to occasional mistakes on the offensive blue line .. should read the developing plays more quickly .. precipitous when

distributing the puck in the offensive zone .. unleashes a heavy slap shot with average accuracy .. fires a quick snap shot with adequate accuracy .. decent presence in his own zone but his costly mistakes hurt his reliability .. should become more of a diligent combatant along the boards and in front of the crease but does not back down from initiating of physical contact .. still could get stronger .. should become a more determined crease-clearer .. an adequate performer on the penalty killing units.

CHL outlook: Should not be expected to become a good major junior player .. likely to develop into a fringe WHL player or return to Europe soon .. did not find a way to stick on the elite Czech junior level as an underager and the jump from Czech midget hockey to the WHL is very big .. likely to battle adjustment problems as he virtually did not experience junior hockey yet .. size tools are appealing but Vrana does not have

the other intangibles to become a quality WHL defenseman .. took English lessons during the previous season but still should improve on his knowledge

CHL Import Players – Slovak (posted 7.28.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Juraj Valach (2007), D

Scouting: a decent skater for a player of his size .. could use a more

explosive first step and a faster acceleration but should be okay in

the skating department once he gains more bulk to lower-body .. decent

agility .. okay backwards skating and lateral movement .. decent balance

but still needs more lower-body strength .. could use a bigger top-end

speed .. more of a stay-at-homer .. reads the developing plays well and

mostly chooses the safest play when moving the puck .. tends to make

fuzzy decisions with the puck when hard-pressed by an opponent ..

occasionally willing to join the rush but his average puckhandling skills

limit his effectiveness as a two-way defenseman .. shows adequate

stickhandling skills .. uses a long stick and can be an effective pincher ..

willing to use his shot from the point with a solid hardness and

adequate accuracy .. okay hard snap shot .. could use more smarts when

playing on the offensive blue line .. works adequately hard down low .. is

able to throw a solid hit but is not a steady physical presence .. bulking

up is essential .. decent at clearing the crease .. okay safe

positional play .. a solid force in the defensive zone thanks to his large

wingspan .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. shoots right.

CHL outlook: the top Slovak 2007 eligible prospect rejected a contract

offer from the Zvolen team to enable himself a chance to come over this

summer .. very likely to make a good major junior player who will stick

to a dependable defensive style .. his size and strength enable him to

adjust to the more physical WHL play in a short time .. isn't likely to

serve as a two-way defenseman despite the occasional flashes of

offensive support during international games .. progressed on his English

knowledge as he prepared for his coming over during the whole previous

season.

Lukas Vartovnik (2007), C

Scouting: a solid skater with deceptive quickness and change of pace ..

possesses decent bursts of speed .. blessed with a solid balance and

lower-body strength .. could upgrade on his top-end speed .. an okay

puckhandler .. capable of making nifty moves with his stick when needed,

however, is not a dipsy-doodler with the puck .. decent corralling of difficult

passes .. shows decent offensive instincts and an adequate creativity

.. possesses a decent portion of hockey sense and awareness of the

positioning of the linemates .. releases a hard snap shot with a solid

accuracy, but should work on the accuracy of his slap shots .. needs to

progress on the smoothness of his finishing skills .. shows up in heavy

traffic despite modest frame .. battles for the loose pucks and often

looks for the loose rebounds in the opponent's slot .. needs to pick up on

his defensive play .. should further develop his defensive positioning

and mark his man faster .. average in the face-off circle .. can be a

solid force when on his game but is prone to occasional inconsistency.

CHL outlook: blessed with junior experience from the Czech Republic ..

shouldn't be expected to contribute offensively right from the

beginning but should develop into a solid major junior player after the needed

adjustment period on the more physical play on the smaller ice surface

.. likely to develop into a decent junior scorer after his rookie

campaign but isn't likely to ever finish near the very top of the scoring

race .. spent the previous two years living on his own in the Czech

Republic .. should adjust to the different culture in a short time due to

his off-ice intelligence.

Branislav Rehus (2007), C

Scouting: a decent skater .. uses a short quick stride .. okay agility

.. adequate first-step quickness .. could use further upgrading on his

explosiveness and top-end speed .. decent balance and lower-body

strength .. a solid stickhandler who uses both sides of the stick blade ..

capable of a surprising move .. above-average passing accuracy .. could

deal with difficult passes more effortlessly .. decent hand-eye

coordination .. could make better puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic ..

okay patience with the puck .. decent vision and hockey sense .. decent

in-close finishing skills .. fires a hard accurate snap shot as the

most dangerous shot of his variety of shots .. slap shot of adequate

accuracy could be upgraded in terms of hardness .. willing to return to

defense, but is still raw in his defensive awareness .. should mark his

man more quickly .. can be sneaky in traffic .. doesn't shy away from

traffic and is willing to get dirty when the play gets physical ..

regularly performs in traffic .. capable of laying hard hits on the opponents

but still should get stronger .. should further improve on his face-off

ability .. prone to inconsistent showings .. a late '88 born forward.

CHL outlook: likely to spend the rookie season with adjusting to the

OHL pace and physical play .. possesses the talent to be able to stick on

the OHL level but should not be expected to become a significant scorer

.. more likely to play his major junior career as an average player

rather than star .. an independent player who is used to take care of

himself in a foreign country .. still should improve on his English

knowledge.

Russian NHL Draft Review Part 2 (posted 7.17.06)

by Eugene Belashchenko

After the first three rounds, the drafting of Russian players slowed significantly. This was predictable, as due to the new NHL-NHLPA agreement that limits European player rights to just two years, the practice of drafting European "projects" late in the draft with hope that they will some day bud into starts was bound to cease. Accordingly, there were 10 Russian players selected in the first three rounds, and then just five in the remaining four rounds. In this article, we will provide coverage in regards to the final nine Russian players selected in from the late second round through the conclusion of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Denis BODROV 55th overall (defenseman) Philadelphia

Philadelphia's selection of Bodrov and this early in the draft was surprising. The young player has competed on Russia's U20 squad and spent time in the Super League, but his level of play did not merit a second round selection. He did his job, but did not particularly stand out during the U20 World Championships. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make his second round selection a surprise. Bodrov will likely sign with Philadelphia soon and probably already had contact with the team before the draft in addition to the standard interviews. Philadelphia must see something in this blue liner that other scouts do not and may have found a diamond in the rough.

Alexander VASYUNOV 58th overall (forward) New Jersey

Vasyunov drop to late second round is a bit surprising, but not by any means shocking after his sub par performance at the U18 WJC. The young forward has loads of potential, but he failed to establish himself and the preeminent scorer that everyone believes he can be. A pure sniper, Vasyunov in some regards reminds of young Alexander Suglobov, who also fittingly went as late in the second round as Vasyunov and fittingly also to New Jersey. A great sniper at the junior level, Vasyunov will hopefully be able to raise his game to the Super League (Russia 1) level during the 2006-07 season with HC Lokomotiv.

Kirill TULUPOV 67th overall (defenseman) New Jersey

New Jersey drafted another Russian with the 67th pick, selecting towering blue liner Kirill Tulupov. The NHL club has a long history of drafted big Russian defensemen and Tulupov simply perpetuated the trend. Already assimilated to North America, Tulupov has a strong work ethic and likes to play physical hockey and use his impressive frame. His skill level and skating will hopefully continue to improve. The move from North America back to Russia was a good one for him last summer, as it allowed him an opportunity to make his professional debut in the High League (Russia 2), and earn a spot on Russia's U18 squad, which really boosted his draft stock.

Vladimir ZHARKOV 77th overall (forward) New Jersey

New Jersey made it three Russians in a row by drafting Zharkov in the third round. Zharkov was highly touted as one of the top Russians available in the draft. While he did not go as high as projected, the young forward was picked where we projected him. Zharkov splashed onto the scene this season with a good performance for Russia's U18 squad and his strong debut in the Super League (Russia 1) with HC CSKA. Zharkov did however; deliver a poor showing at the U18 World Junior Championships, which impacted his draft stock. The young forward possesses good size, above average skating ability and an impressive ability to compete in traffic. He is not a pure sniper, but does have a very good goal scoring sense. Despite his significant upside, Zharkov is a project selection with whom New Jersey will have to be patient.

Pavel VALENTENKO 139th overall (defenseman) Montreal

Valentenko was a surprising selection by Montreal late in the draft. Montreal must have really loved the young prospect during the Big Prize U20 tournament in St. Petersburg, which was the inaugural tournament of the 87 born U20 team. There he was one of Russia's most productive defensemen, even managing to score a couple of tallies from the blue line. He also must have impressed them while with Russia's U20 squad that skated against the top Canadian junior players during the ADT Canada Russia Challenge. There, however, the young prospect did not impress our scouts and did not significantly stand out amongst Russia's mediocre defensive corps. Montreal's scouts may have also seen him in Russia's juniors, but he continues to be unproven at the Super League (Russia 1) level, as he only skated in two games last season.

Sergei SHIROKOV 163rd overall (forward) Vancouver

Finally, after two years of eligibility, Shirokov has been drafted by an NHL club. During those two seasons, the young forward consistently played well on the international level, but the difference maker this year was that he added a strong Super League (Russia 1) performance with HC CSKA in addition to his impressive play for U20 Team Russia in Vancouver. The young forward fights hard at the boards despite his slightly below average frame. He is skilled and possesses an impressive scoring touch.

Alexander BUMAGIN 170th overall forward) Edmonton

Another one of Russian overage players who was overlooked during the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. The highly rated and regarded Bumagin was finally selected a year later by Edmonton after establishing himself as not only a full fledged Super League player, but also as a club leader with HC Lada during the club's financial crisis that ensued in November and caused a large number of veterans to flee. Like Shirokov, Bumagin is not big, but he has an above average speed, a great vision of the ice and an impressive scoring touch. His absence from the U20 squad at the U20 WJC in Vancouver was quite a surprise to some, but the young forward was recovering from a serious injury he suffered in October and was not 100% yet.

Denis KAZIONOV 198th (forward) Tampa Bay

Denis Kazionov was highly rated by a number of scouts coming into the draft and while he did impress a bit with his performance in the Super League this past season, he is a project pick with a limited upside. He does have impressive size and a good skill set, but has yet to prove himself as a productive forward, really at any level. It was surprising that Tampa Bay picked him after largely avoiding Russian players during the past several drafts. Still, a lot is still unknown about this player and he will get ample chance to prove himself with HC MVD this coming season in the Russian Super League (Russia 2), and may also earn a spot on Russia's 87 born U20 squad.

Andrei POPOV 205th (forward) Philadelphia

Popov's selection so late in the draft was very surprising. Granted, the young prospect did not go out of his way to fulfill the hefty expectations with a mediocre and uninspiring U18 World Junior Championships performance, but he did show glimpse of great potential and also played well during his professional debut in the High League (Russia 2) with HC Traktor. Popov has impressive size, strong puckhandling ability, but needs to improve his skating and while he sees the ice well, he tends to take on too much onto himself, not using his linemates a lot. This young prospect has the most upside out of any Russians in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, and Philadelphia got a steal so late in the draft, though he still is a project pick.

Russian NHL Draft Review (posted 7.6.06)

by Eugene Belashchenko

While there were no Ovechkin's or Malkin's amongst the Russian players eligible for the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the Russians enjoyed significant success in the early rounds when compared to the horrible showing at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, when the NHL clubs clearly stayed away. In this article we will provide coverage in regards to the first six Russian players selected in the first and second rounds of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

23 Semen VARLAMOV (goalie) Washington Capitals

The best goaltender to come out of Russia in a long time, Varlamov's selection so early in the draft was not a surprise. This goaltender has size, solid technique, strong lateral movement, and very good reaction. He has overachieved at both U18 and U20 levels, getting the nod to play for the squads a year or two before the standard call up age. The young netminder still has to prove himself at the professional level, as he is yet to see any ice time in the High League (Russia 2) or the Super League (Russia 1).

27 Ivan VISHNEVSKY (defenseman) Dallas Stars

Expected to go in the first round last summer, Vishnevsky did not have a stellar year, but apparently Dallas saw enough in him as a potential heir to the incumbent Russian offensive blue liner Sergei Zubov to draft the young player with the 27th pick. A dynamic offensive talent with strong skating, Vishnevsky needs to bring consistency and better work ethic. He did not skate for Russia's U18 squad this season, with the exception of a single tournament, and while his draft stock would not have gone up significantly from his participation in the U18 WJC, he would have benefited from playing against the best the hockey world has to offer and would have helped Russia's defense, which largely cost the team the tournament.

33 Igor MAKAROV (forward) Chicago Blackhawks

Very surprising that Makarov was picked this early. This doesn't mean that he is not talented - he has good speed, doesn't hesitate to fly through traffic and his scoring touch is quite impressive. However, despite his positives, there is a concern regarding Makarov's upside, as he hasn't exhibited anything that stood him apart from the other very talented 87 and 86 born forward with whom he has competed for a spot on the U20 squad this past season. He has delivered a strong performance for the Soviet Wings in the High League (Russia 2) playoffs, so that likely had a lot to do with his draft stock increasing, but what likely really helped was his great play at last year's U18 WJC and the Canada Russia Challenge tournament.

37 Yuri ALEXANDROV (defenseman) Boston Bruins

It was quite surprising that Alexandrov dropped this far in the draft order, as he was widely recognized as the Russian player with the most potential at this draft. Still, his relatively average size and his reliable, but not "lights out" two-way play allowed Vishnevsky to overtake Alexandrov as the top drafted Russian defenseman due to his immense offensive upside. Alexandrov's experience and ability are unquestionable, as he was U18 Team Russia's captain and top defenseman, and also consistently proved himself at the Super League (Russia 1) level with HC Severstal. At 37th overall, the Bruins may have gotten quite a steal.

44 Nikolai KULEMIN (forward) Toronto Maple Leafs

Kulemin capitalized on his breakout season by being selected midway through the second round. The talented young forward budded into a strong Super League forward while skating on the same line with future NHL super star Evgeny Malkin. Kulemin also delivered a strong performance on Russia's U20 squad in Vancouver, and then further raised his stock by earning a spot on Russia's senior national team that competed at the World Championships in Riga, Latvia. Kulemin is an aggressive player with a strong work ethic and adequate skill level and skating. He stands out with his willingness to drive through traffic, and while he is not a sniper, he does have an impressive scoring touch and scores a lot "working" of goals off rebounds.

54 Artem ANISIMOV (forward) New York Rangers

Anisimov was drafted about where we expected and was Russia's first center to go in this draft. The young forward has a lot of potential with his exceptional vision of the ice and skill. However he will have to work on his skating and further improve his play in traffic. The Anisimov – Vasyunov combination did not fulfill the expectations of becoming U18 Team Russia's top scoring duo, but he still showed flashes of what he may become in the future. In addition to junior international competition, Anisimov also saw limited ice time in the Super League with Lokomotiv.