Ivan Hlinka U-18 Tournament: Team Russia

The Russians steam rolled through the opposition in round robin play. They dismantled the Americans in their opening game, cruised past the Czechs and over powered the Finns, out scoring the their opponents 16-7 in the process. The Russians ultimately bowed down to the Canadians in a contest that never saw them assert themselves or pose much of a challenge. Armed with the most skilled forwards in the tournament, the Russians were guilty of playing too much of an individual game and in the end it was the difference between silver and gold.

McKeen's Chief Correspondent David Burstyn was on hand at the Ivan Hlinka tournament and files these notes on various Russian players.

Igor Bobkov (2009), G, Magnitogorsk

Played an outstanding opening game, turning aside 30+ shots in Team Russia's opening game win against Team USA .. was unable to build on his momentum as he was pulled in the opening period against the Finns and lost his starting duties in the gold medal game as a result .. a very big, yet physically immature goaltender .. he will need to add weight to his 6'4 frame .. a quick goalie that has sharp reflexes and controls his rebounds well .. he is above average with his blocker side but his glove hand is suspect .. his glove is super small and resembles that of a house league baseball player's glove .. he is not flamboyant in his approach, very ordinary but composed and does not expend much energy to make a save .. a good skater who moves well post-to-post .. he is wise not to play the puck as this is not a strong aspect of his game .. does not always use his stick to make a save and would benefit from applying an occasional poke check .. what he needs to work on primarily is his mental toughness .. he allowed several weak goals against the Finns which raised some red flags about his overall game.

Kirill Yuryev (2009), D, Togliatti

Depth defenseman played a top four role even though his skill set might not have warranted it .. an average skater in terms of speed and reverse movement .. has ok mobility but his pivots are sub standard .. can get twisted inside out and get caught flat footed especially as was the case against the likes of Haula (Finland) and Hall (Canada) .. he has a big rump that he sticks out to restrain guys, he takes himself out of the play as he has not managed to time his hits accordingly .. limited puck skills however he can find an open man for a quick outlet pass .. shot power is average but release needs drastic work .. does all the little things that are critical to team success in the defensive zone including blocking shots, clearing the crease and most importantly sticking up for his team mates when the game gets heated .. will never be more than a depth defender on Russian International teams and at this point is a late round selection or not one at all.

Evgeny Molotilov (2009), D, Guelph

Struggled immensely during this tournament so much that he did not see the ice for the final two periods against Team Canada .. is coming to the OHL to an organization known for developing defenseman and it is a good thing because he needs a lot of work .. his game is littered with mistakes and they all stem from a lack of confidence .. mistakes tend to snowball .. he needs a defined role and play within it .. he closes the lanes and angles off opposing forwards poorly and gets beaten a fair bit .. clumsy when handling the puck, he needs the forwards to retreat below the face off dot so he is not so pressured off the puck and can find his outlets .. at his best when he stays true to his position, battling in front and is not swayed from the box .. an ok skater, he should be able to stay with the OHL players but will need to make upgrades to all facets of his play.

IIdar Telyakov (2009), D, St Petersburg

Towering defenseman (6'6-200) was a pussycat on ice so much so that he got his bell rung by 5'10 forward Tyler Brown (USA) when the two engaged in a fight .. long stride is ok in straight ahead but moves too slowly moving laterally due to his feet constantly having to cross over to get into position .. uses his stick to defend more than his positioning as he is usually skating away from a forward who has already made a cut to the net .. he does not have qualified puck skills .. he fumbles it and handles it like a grenade .. size is intriguing but he has too many warts to be considered a legitimate prospect.

Alexander Karpushkin (2010), D, Dynamo

Karpushkin got better as the tournament went on .. he played in more situations and earned his ice with an honest hard nosed effort .. no nonsense defender is not impressive in any particular area of play but competes and is more recognized for his defensive skills than his offensive merit .. due to Team Russia's complete lack of puck handling defenders, he was fortunate to see ice on the second unit of the PP .. does not dazzle with puck skills but can make a decent pass and handles the puck with enough poise to make a play with it .. he gets into trouble when he attempts to push for too much offence and does not leave the zone early enough .. his recovery skills are ok but his stride and overall speed are exposed when he does not retreat in time .. when he makes adjustments early he can stay with his marked man, driving him outside and often giving them a face wash for good measure when he pummels them along the boards .. showed the ability to improve in a short period of time however his game still needs polishing.

Georgy Berdyukov (2009), D, St.Petersburg

If one player has made leaps in bounds in his overall development it would have to be that of Berdyukov .. played modestly in the Under 17 tournament, however his eye opening performance at the Ivan Hlinka has him now being mentioned in the same category of second tier defenders for the up coming NHL entry draft .. resounding confidence handling the puck and vast improvements have been made to his shot .. he can hammer it through a maze of legs or feather it gently towards the net for a tip or deflection .. poised and positionally sound with the puck the ice opens up for him because of his superb play reading ability .. his offensive attributes were actively put on display on the PP .. defensively he contains the left point better than most .. he is not a thunderous hitter, just a solid body checking defender who fuses his finesse skills to administer effective take outs along the boards and frustrate forwards in front of the net .. graceful stride that is long and thick .. not an explosive skater but he commands respect once he starts moving .. has managed to improve his game and this year will be critical for his development.

Dimitri Orlov (2009), D, Novokuznetsk

The most complete player on the back end, Orlov is versed on both sides of the puck but has more of an offensive dimension to his game .. he is intelligent and poised and gets the crunch time exposure because he can handle the pressure .. a terrific skater in all facets .. he is strong and well balanced, can move laterally, pivot and put on a short burst of speed or sustain a rush the length of the rink .. his stamina and conditioning are top notch and he plays an inordinate amount of minutes as a result .. his play suffers at times when he is forced to do too much .. he also gets into trouble because he does not always read the plays coming at him .. his offensive skills helped the Russian forwards with another option as he would often jump the line .. he is not afraid to come in deep and charge the slot, since his skating will bail him out however he could benefit from shooting more .. he can get his shots on goal and sets up the PP effectively, patrolling the line with poise and maturity .. Orlov plays a very complete game and should be a sought after NHL pick.

Maxim Kitsin (2010), LW, Novokuznetsk

An enigmatic player with an abundance of skill and finesse however he does not always apply himself and disappears for long stretches of time .. he has speed, dexterity, puck control skills, strength, balance and speed to beat the first fore checker coming out of the zone or the first line of defence when he crosses the zone .. Kitsin opens up the ice and needs players who can keep up to exploit the openings he creates .. needs to lengthen his stride yet it is efficient .. he takes many small steps to generate speed but he is agile and coordinated on his skates .. his shiftiness serves him well to elude fore checkers and hits .. he is not physical and does not want to engage in any of the dirty areas .. he is far too perimeter despite his inherent skill set and would profit from challenging defenders and charging the net .. on the PP he can control the pace of the game, weaving and curling on the half boards, patiently holding onto the puck waiting for the play to unfold and delivering a precise pass .. Kitsin has a surplus of skill however his lack of intensity is a glaring concern and invariably is very difficult to teach or learn.

Kirill Kabanov (2010), LW, Spartak

Kabanov has not only been playing above his age group but has excelled in every International tournament he has played leading Team Russia in scoring along the way .. plays a game eerily similar to Ilya Kovalchuk as he is ultra competitive and wants the puck at all times and will go thru the opposition to get it .. he plays with an edge and intimidates with his bulldog style and speed .. still has a tendency to go thru five guys however he is learning to use his support players better .. he has great balance and agility and he moves equally well with the puck or without it .. handling the puck does not slow him down a fraction .. he has been coached well and that is evident in the little things he does in the offensive zone that help sustain pressure not only along the boards but in front of the goal as well .. he likes to work give and goes and sneak in back door .. very adept at winning corner battles he is strong and once again his superior balance plays into his favour in this area of the ice .. he boasts good vision when he has time and space but is primarily a shoot first type of player .. Kabanov has already been mentioned as a high end pick for the '10 draft and for obvious reasons, he can do many things well however at this point his game is still quite raw and he will need to add a defensive conscious to bolster his draft stock.

Vladimir Tarasenko (2010), RW, Novosibirsk

Tarasenko is the sum of his parts and works better in a structured game where his deceptive skill set is better illustrated .. he posted impressive numbers in this tournament going 4-2-3-5 albeit with limited ice time .. he is a player who meshes well with others and can do many things well but is not flashy .. many players often think little of him in the offensive zone, leaving him uncontested until it is too late .. he is neither a fast nor a smooth skater but he has enough speed to qualify and make it work for him in the offensive zone .. strength on his skates allows him to keep pressure in the zone down low .. he is very adept at keeping the puck in his feet along the boards and using that extra time to locate a proper pass .. he leans on guys and pushes them back to gain additional real estate down low .. his defensive game is supported by his anticipation and ability to read the play coming at him .. a genuine player who will need to be looked at often to fully understand what role he could play.

Stanislav Bocharov (2009), RW, Kazan

Although he went scoreless throughout the tournament his play away from the puck was instrumental for team success .. his dogged fore checking and modest skill set helped to not only pressure opponents off the puck but allowed him to make quality choices when it was in his possession .. an extremely hard working and intelligent forward who played his best hockey of the tournament when promoted to the top unit as it inspired him to great lengths .. he was promoted due to his team first mentality and he eagerly dug out the puck for his more talented line mates .. he is a choppy stick handler and tends to keep his head down when making passes .. does not have that much confidence in his shot .. his game consists of him working the corners and end boards, taking a hit to make a play and sacrificing his body defensively all of which he does .. he is a good role player that could find himself selected in the middle rounds of the draft.

Kirill Lebedev (2010), RW, Magnitogorsk

Lebedev is your typical flashy Russian who looks nice to watch but in the end has done little to affect the outcome of the game and tends to be more of a liability than a contributor .. sizzling speed with or without the puck as he has very light feet and dances on the ice .. defenseman are fools to play the puck on him as he can make shifty moves and leave them standing still .. loses focus too much as his mental game is almost non-existent .. he gives up far too easily on the puck and is invisible when he does not have the puck .. when he is slumping he tends to hold onto it too long to find the perfect pass .. the puck was often stripped off of him and odd man breaks occurred the other way .. shows fear and apprehension and is unwilling to take a hit to score a goal .. he purposely skates out of prime scoring areas so he will not get hit .. an interesting prospect due to his hand and foot speed but he does not play a North American game.

Anton Burdasov (2009), RW, Chelyabinsk

It was difficult to gauge what type of player Burdasov was this tournament as he did not play up to his potential .. issues surround his finishing skills because for the amount of his chances he generated he only had a mere goal to show for his efforts .. clutches the stick too tight and gets nervous .. his stick handling wizardry can mesmerize defenders .. this trait often allows him an opportunity to get further into the zone .. he is a smart player who adapts and changes to suit the game style .. tries to be a difference maker whether it be invoking a physical aspect or a play maker's element; his game is versatile .. more of an up and down skater who plays his wing well .. his skating and overall game does not see him zig or zag rather he is a full steam ahead type skater .. he is smart enough to play the PK and processes the game faster than his peers defensively .. a unique prospect that should be able to climb the draft board throughout the course of the season.

Pavel Zotov (2009), C, Dynamo

In a bizarre coaching move, Zotov barely played any 5-5 hockey all tournament, rather he was only thrown over the boards for both the PP and PK .. an extremely crafty pivot whose hand and foot speed work in conjunction with one another to make him an offensive threat .. great acceleration and balance which helps him work in tight spaces .. outstanding hand/eye coordination and goes to the danger areas to look for tips and deflections .. he is super skilled in front as he is a dual threat .. his release is lighting quick and he is just as capable of slithering a pass through traffic to a wide open team mate .. he likes to play deep on the PP and even when the play shifted he showed no desire to come back and help his peers which was surprising considering he saw plenty of time on the PK (this could have been a coaching tactic) .. at his best when he is competing and playing an aggressive game, moving his feet and getting his shoulder high to bounce the opposition off of pucks .. is a player that NHL scouts will need to get more viewings of.

Yevgeny Kuznetsov (2010), C, Chelyabinsk

A fierce competitor who hates to lose .. he wears his emotions on his sleeve and comes to play each and every shift .. he is a dirty player too and is not afraid to stick guys after the whistle in an attempt to lure them into a penalty .. his aggression is best served and used accordingly to take the opposition off of their game and not him however he was called on many of his infractions and although it is a healthy trait to his game he needs to be mindful of when to play aggressive and when not too .. possesses a nice efficient stride and is well balanced as his body weight is shifted proportionately over his skates .. he has rink length speed as his leg strength for his age is very impressive .. considered more of an offensive minded player he does his best work in the offensive zone .. likes to use a short stick and as such has an easier time skating with the puck in his skates .. this tactic allows him to drive the net where he will try to bully the puck in or take an off angle snap shot in an attempt for a rebound in front .. he has good finishing skill and thrives when playing with line mates that know their position and can feed of his explosive bursts .. when partnered with Kabanov and Burmistov the trio single handily beat the Finns in the third period as the line combined for seven points on three goals ..better suited for the wing where he does not have to worry about retreating out of the zone as fast .. he shows very little ambition to get back .. under ager has plenty of time to mature and round out his game .. should be an NHL draft considering how well he has adapted to playing in this tournament with players 15 months his senior.

Alexander Burmistrov (2010), C, Kazan

An electrifying player who handled the puck with artistry and style .. his stick handling ability could have been the best in the entire tournament .. at times he looked as if he was playing shiny hockey as he would beat the same player twice just to say he could .. his play confused his own team mates as they never knew how to position themselves as he would dangle all over the ice .. he would often try to move himself into a position to score and while he has tremendous vision he did not always employ it .. his strengths at not rushing the play and waiting for things to unfold could be viewed as both a positive and a negative .. while it was quite a show for him to skate at ease with the puck at the next level he will not be allotted so much ice and this style of game actually cripples his development .. he needs the puck to be effective and on several occasions even took it off his own team mates on the PP .. an up right skater, he is an average skater, with a deep knee bend but leans too forward .. this makes him shifty but he also susceptible to hits that take him off balance when players get a hold of him .. still needs to physically mature as he is rather skinny but appears to be taller than his 5'10 statistics suggest .. there are layers to his game, as we was thrown out on the ice for several 3-5 PK situations however he needs to develop more of a team attitude .. he will have plenty of time to mature as a player.