Russian Prospect Reviews

Surviving Chernykh

Dmitri Chernykh left Khimik Vosskresensk during the summer of 2003 and joined CSKA in the Russian Super League.

The young forward performed very well during the preseason, however, as often happens with young players, he was put in the reserve once the regular season started. After getting little ice time in September, Chernykh then missed parts of October and November due to illness and spent an additional month and a half getting back in shape.

Eventually, he began to display the speed and maneuverability that made him so highly touted prior to the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, earning second-round recognition from the New York Islanders.

In late January, he secured a spot in the Super League club’s lineup and delivered a very strong performance down the stretch. During the last month of the regular season, Chernykh played on the same line with the league’s top offensive player, Sergei Mozyakin, who was skating on the third line while recovering from a serious leg injury. The duo interacted well together, and Chernykh’s offensive production benefited greatly from Mozyakin’s passing and imaginative thinking.

While Chernykh developed significantly during the 2003-04 season, he will have a hard time securing a consistent roster spot with CSKA considering the influx of NHL players into the Super League this year. He should, however, be one of Russia’s top forwards on the U-20 ’85-born squad.

The Igor Sanction

The Ottawa Senators second-rounder enjoyed a great `03-4 campaign, progressing in all facets of the game, especially in his ability to quickly read plays at the Super League level. Igor Mirnov also held his own in the physical department, and showed particular effectiveness along the boards.

Mirnov started the season off strong and consistently skated on Dynamo Moscow’s second line. His season took a bit of a down-turn when he injured his knee during practice, and was forced to miss the U-20 World Junior Championships. The injury was initially diagnosed to be fairly serious, but a second opinion revealed that there was no ligament damage and Mirnov was out of action for less than three weeks.

Impressively, the young forward was one of the few players on Dynamo Moscow’s roster who progressed significantly last season. Mirnov finished the campaign with 22 points (11G+11A), a significant achievement for any player, let alone one who is just 20 years old.

To put his success in perspective, Mirnov finished the season just two goals and two points behind the much-hyped Alexander Ovechkin, who is a year younger than Mirnov, but already had an extra Super League season under his belt.

Even more importantly, despite the minor injury setback in December, the fast, hard-shooting sniper proved his durability and that the serious knee injuries suffered earlier in his career appear to be behind him.

Despite the influx of several NHL players this fall, including LA’s Pavel Rosa, Mirnov will likely continue to earn plenty of ice time on Dynamo’s second unit during the 2004-05 season.

Titov tutors Krikunov

If Evgeny Malkin hadn’t been playing in his first Super League season, it’s probable that Ilya Krikunov would have been named the league’s Top Rookie.

The Vancouver seventh-rounder was one of Khimik’s top forwards during the preseason, skating mostly on the second line. However, when the regular season started, he was quickly relegated to the fourth unit, where he had little opportunity to showcase his abilities, receiving just five minutes of icetime per game.

Still, despite the limited exposure, he did look very good alongside his longtime linemate from Elektrostal, center Maxim Shevjev. Krikunov’s skill and work ethic paid off as he saw his duties increase after head coach Bragin was replaced.

Krikunov not only proved himself to be capable of competing at the Super League level, the speedy winger went on to score 10 goals and 19 points, good enough for fourth on the squad in both categories.

By the middle of the regular season, the youngster had carved himself a spot on Khimik’s top line with former NHL players German Titov and Valeri Kamensky, gaining valuable experience and confidence.

Already a top line player, Krikunov now needs to prove that his `03-4 performance was not a fluke, and that he is capable of contributing on a consistent basis. He sees the ice very well, reads plays and loves combinational hockey, which all should translate into continued success this season.

article courtesy Evgeny Belashchenko and RussianProspects.com