2010 NHL Entry Draft Coverage

With the 26th overall pick, the Washington Capitals picked wing Evgeny Kuznetsov. He's the third player to get picked in the first round after Alexander Burmistrov and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Kuznetsov, 18, has recently signed a new 2 years deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, but most likely the Caps are willing to wait a bit so that he can develop at home.

Evgeny Kuznetsov had a very good rookie season with Traktor, with nine points in 35 games. He also scored once in the playoffs. He skated at both U20 and U18 WJC.

With the 16th overall pick the St. Louis Blues picked Vladimir Tarasenko during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Tarasenko was the second Russian player picked in the first round after Alexander Burmistrov, picked up by Atlanta with the 8th pick.

Tarasenko, 18, had two excellent seasons in the KHL. This year he scored 24 points with Sibir Novosibirsk.

Tarasenko has already announced that he's going to spend the 10-11 season back home in Russia, but it looks like the Blues weren't scared about this. Tarasenko is under contract until 2012.

The Atlanta Thrashers picked up Alexander Burmistrov with the 8th overall pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The center's selection was a bit of a surprize, but anyway the Thrashers decided to draft him most likely because of his skills set.

Burmistrov, 18, played with the Barrie Colts of the OHL this year, with 65 points during the regular season and 16 during the playoffs. Even if he joined the OHL on loan from Ak Bars Kazan, most likely Burmistrov will be back in North America for the next season.

Many pages have been inked about the once thought to be one of the prime candidates for the 2010 Entry Draft #1 overall pick, Russian Kirill Kabanov, as he has experienced a serious downhill fall after his departure to Canada this fall.

During the 2008-09 season the talented winger got the first taste of pro hockey experience skating in a bunch of regular season and playoff games (and getting knocked out by a hit from former NHL defenseman Vitaly Vishnevsky) with Spartak Moscow, then scored eleven points in the 2009 U18 WJC, being thus outscored by Vladimir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

We have started a new site dedicated to Russian prospects, RussianProspect.com.

We have compiled a list of Top Russians for the upcoming draft along with players' profiles (History, Talent Analysis and Future).

1. Kirill Kabanov, 9D
2. Vladimir Tarasenko, 8.5B
3. Evgeny Kuznetsov, 8.5B
4. Alexander Burmistrov, 8.5C
5. Stanislav Galiev, 8B
6. Ivan Telegin, 8C
7. Alexei Marchenko, 7.5B
8. Nikita Zaytsev, 7.5C
9. Maxim Kitsyn, 7C
10. Sergei Barbashev, 7C
11. Nikita Gusev, 7D

For now the site has profiles for the top Russian players available for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but during the summer the site will be upgraded and it will have profiles of older and younger players, news, interviews and more scout reports, to give our readers the best coverage of Russian prospects available on the internet. The "Prospects" section of Russian Hockey Fans will be shut down.

2010 eligible Nikita Zaytsev, playing for Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL, stated that Philadelphia and Chicago were the most interested teams during the recent NHL Draft Combine. In this interview by allhockey.ru he talked about the tests, about the draft itself and stated that he plans to play in the KHL the 2010-11 season.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

Not long ago you underwent the NHL Combine process, traditionally held about one month prior the NHL Draft. When did you know that they invited you there?

Zaytsev: "I was having a holiday in Turkey and my father called me. He told me that they called me for the tests on May 22nd and I had to fly to Toronto."

As widely reported in the latest few days, Kirill Kabanov and his agent JP Barry parted ways. "I wish Kirill all the best" - Barry told The Hockey News. "It just wasn’t a fit. We advised him to seek other representation."

The collaboration between Kabanov and Barry (whose agency works with, for example, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar) lasted a few months only. They helped Kabanov in the preparation toward the upcoming NHL Draft and the NHL Draft Combine. But they refused to work with him any longer.

So far Don Meehan (and his Russian representative Sergei Isakov), Jay Grossman and Scott Greenspun (Alexei Kovalev's agent) parted ways with Kabanov.

Russian popular newspaper Sovietskiy Sport had an interview with Russian agent Ilya Moliver, who works for Jay Grossman's agency. Some of his clients are Ilya Kovalchuk, Nikolai Khabibulin and Pekka Rinne.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

The International Scouting Services announced its final rankings for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Vladimir Tarasenko, playing for Sibir of the KHL, is the highest ranked European, having the 4th spot in the rankings.

There are three more Russian prospects in the Top 30, they are:

14. Alexander Burmistrov (OHL, Barrie Colts)
19. Evgeny Kuznetsov (KHL, Traktor Chelyabinsk)
24. Stanislav Galiev (QJMHL, Saint John Sea Dogs)

The notorious Kirill Kabanov has fallen out of the Top 30.

Vladimir Tarasenko, one of the top Russian players eligible for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft, confirmed that he is under contract for the 2010/11 season.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the most interesting quotes from an interview recently appeared on Sibir Novosibirsk's official site.

Vladimir, let's talk again about the recent WJC. There was a lot of speculation about the conflict between the team's head coach, Vladimir Plyuschev, and the team's captain, Nikita Filatov. If there is no team then there can't either be results. Do you agree?
Vladimir Tarasenko: Yes, there was no team spirit. We couldn't work as a true team and I don't know who's to blame. But there are also other reasons. Team USA played together the whole year, they skated in some tournaments together. This might have had an impact over the tournament.

Is your contract with Sibir valid also for the following season?
Vladimir Tarasenko: Yes, it is. But this is not the only reason. I think I should continue my career with Sibir also because of the human conditions. There are a lot of people that really helped me. First of all - my family.

In the popular The Hockey News Hot List feature, Ryan Kennedy put center Alexander Burmistrov on the top of this week's list.

Like fellow Russian imports Ivan Telegin and Kirill Kabanov, Burmistrov came over to the Canadian League this year for more ice time than he would get in the Kontinental League and better competition than he would have seen on the Russian junior circuit.

“The OHL is a better league,” he said. “Fast, many hits. I like it.”

And the Colts like him. The dynamic pivot from Kazan has 20 assists and 29 points in 23 games this year, quarterbacks the second unit of Barrie’s power play and even kills penalties. He has an English tutor who comes twice a week and also watches some TV to round out the experience.

“I watch NHL games…maybe Tyra or Ellen,” he grinned.

Burmistrov is very wiry at 6-foot, 170 pounds, but difficult to knock off the puck. Above all else, though, he’s a fantastic playmaker.

“I like to pass,” Burmistrov said. “Every game I want to (set up) my partners.”

Of course, linemate Stefan Della Rovere will likely be an enemy when the world juniors roll around in a month. He’ll be suiting up for Canada while Burmistrov has a great shot at a Russian roster that will now boast Nikita Filatov. Asked if he’ll trash-talk his Colts mates should Russia prevail, Burmistrov was emphatic.

“Yeahhhhh,” he laughed. “But if Canada beats Russia, all the fun will be had on me.”

Alexander Burmistrov is eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.