Russian Players In NHL

After 10 years and 563 games Evgeny Nabokov is going to part ways with the San Jose Sharks. As Nabokov's contract will run out next week, the team's General Manager Doug Wilson stated that the Sharks will walk away from one of the team's cornerstones players.

Evgeny Nabokov will be the most interesting goalie in the summer's free agency. In the 10 seasons he played in California he recorded a 293-215-29 record, with a 2.39 goals against average. He also was awarded with the Calder Trophy of the top rookie of the year in 2001.

Nabokov was interested in signing a new contracts with the Sharks, but now he'll have to find himself a new team.

As the free agency will start on July 1st NHL betting will move from results to signings. As one of the top NHL goalies, many teams will try to secure Nabokov's sign, even if it's unlikely that he'll ink again a $6,000,000 contract. Other Russians available include Ilya Kovalchuk, Sergei Gonchar and Alexander Frolov.

24 years old Nikita Nikitin has been signed to an entry level contract by the St. Louis Blues, as reported by the team's official page.

Nikitin played his whole career with Avangard Omsk. Last season he scored four goals and 13 points in 43 regular season games. "His top feature is his excellent first pass. He can launch a forward one-on-one against the goalie directly from his own zone", Russian reporter Ilya Elchaninov based in Omsk said to RussianHockeyFans.com. "He's got a very strong shot, but he lacks accuracy."

Nikitin played with team Russia one of the stages for the Euro Hockey Tour, even if he couldn't score a single point in the three games he wore team Russia jersey. "He's a fairly fast skating and is very good on the corners", added Elchaninov. "The fact with him is that he's inconsistent. He can play a great game and then a bad one the day after. Sometimes he makes some positioning mistakes. He needs to be well mentored by his coach. When Avangard's coach was Sergei Gersonsky he was the best defenseman of the team, but when that coach stepped out, it was just not the same. He can play both defensive and offensive roles, even if he's better as stay at home blue liner. Nikitin has a big potential, but he needs to be motivated."

Nikitin has been signed by the Blues to a one year contract. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL has offered Ilya Kovalchuk a $42M, 3-year contract (which makes its $14M per year), as reported by Russian newspaper Sport-Express.

In case Kovalchuk accepts the offer, he will also get a huge signing bonus.

SKA has long been trying to get Kovalchuk (we wrote about this in November, December and February).

Soon to be 22-years-old Yuri Alexandrov has been signed by the Boston Bruins of the NHL to a two-year contract, as reported by Capgeek.com.

Alexandrov had a career season this year in the KHL with Severstal Cherepovets, with 21 points (five goals and 16 assists) in 56 regular season games.

In the past Alexandrov skated with team Russia on the international stage in two WJCs (2007 and 2008) and in one U18 WJC (2006). Most likely the young defenseman will start the season with the Providence Bruins of the AHL.

As reported by Sport Express, Russian forward Evgeny Skachkov has been signed by the St. Louis Blues to an Entry Level Contract.

The 26 years old left winger had a breakout season in the KHL this year with Traktor Chelyabinsk as he scored 22 goals and 36 points in 51 regular season games. He was left pointless in the team's short post season campaign. Actually this is the third season in which he is delivering for Traktor in spite of the team's lack of success.

Skachkov is a quick left winger with very good technique and excellent skating. He skated with Team Russia in the WC preparation camp, but he didn't make the team.

As the hockey season is just finished, Evgeni Dadonov of the Florida Panthers has got back to his home town Chelyabinsk to rest after his first North American season. In this interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda he talked about his debut season and about the future.

You said that your dream was to play in the NHL. And at the end of the season it happened.

Evgeni Dadonov: "Yes, it did. At the end season, when Florida had no chances to get to the playoffs. The team's sport director, Jack Birch, said that he wants to see me in the main team. He said that I looked good in Rochester and then they wanted to see me in the NHL. They called me to the Panthers as many first team players were injured. Then they gave me a jersey with the number 63. My teammates welcomed me in the team and they said that they would help me if something would be wrong."

What are the main differences between North American and Russian hockey?

Evgeni Dadonov: "It's more mobile. Rinks are smaller and there is little time to make a decision. Andrei Nazarov in Traktor trained me for such game. There is more pressure, more individual plays. They always say you to not allow the opponents to breath. Everyone fights for a NHL spot and thus they work very hard. I didn't notice many rough plays. And the games in the AHL, where I spent most of the season, are attended by 8-10.000 spectators."

Did you leave Traktor because of a conflict with the head coach? There was a rumor that he fought you during a practice.

Evgeni Dadonov: "No, nothing similar happened. Yes, with Nazarov you have no time to get bored. He bantered me, he scolded me, but he never beat me. There was no conflict. The former Traktor's GM Isaac Valitskiy said to me that I can leave to Florida when I want. That's all."

Do you want to play for Traktor in the next season?

Evgeni Dadonov: "I recently talked with one of the team's directors, Stanislav Mosharov, with general director Vladimir Krechin, with GM Igor Varitsky and head coach Andrei Sidorenko. They said that I have a valid contract with Traktor, and that they want to see me there."

And what did you reply?

Evgeni Dadonov: "I replied that I'll be training for the next season, then I'll go to the US. If Florida guarantees me a spot in the NHL, then I will remain. But if they don't give me NHL guarantees, then I'll get back to Russia and play for Traktor. During the past season, Nikita Filatov and Viktor Tikhonov returned back into the KHL."

Alexander Avtsin is going to join the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL this summer, as reported by sportbox.ru

The 19 years old wing spent the latest season with the Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, scoring nine points in 30 regular season games, before picking up a wrist injury that shut down his season in late January.

Most likely Avtsin will start the 2010-11 campaign with the Canadiens' AHL affiliates, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

20-years-old, Russian defenseman Maxim Goncharov signed an Entry Level Contract with the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. His contract with CSKA Moscow run out on April 30th.

Maxim Goncharov is an offensive defenseman with a great shot and an excellent technique. During this season he scored four goals and a career high seventeen points in 51 KHL regular season games, finished +5. In the 2008-09 campaign Goncharov amassed seven goals and as many assists.

In his junior career he won a gold medal in 2007 U18 World Junior Championship in Finland and captured a silver medal in the 2009 WJC, where he scored five goals in seven games, the tournament's best result for a blue liner.

Viktor Tikhonov has been recalled by the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. Tikhonov, 21, has been sent to the KHL on November 28th and scored 14 games and 1 assist in 15 games with Severstal Cherepovets.

The grandson of the legendary Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov is at his second year in North America. After being drafted in the first round of 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he played 61 games in his NHL rookie campaign, with eight goals and as many assist.

After this year's training camp he has been assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, but he decided to bolt back to Russia and was assigned to Severstal Cherepovets.

The Washington Capitals of the NHL signed Russian winger Dmitry Kugryshev to an entry level rookie contract. He has been drafted by the Capitals during the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, with the 58th overall pick.

Kugryshev, who turned 20 in January, has spent the latest two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, scoring respectively 74 and 81 points. The Moscow, Russia, native won a gold medal with Team Russia U18 back in 2007, with a silver and bronze medal at the WJC stage. He has been included in this year's WJC long roster, but he has been cut during the preparation camp.

Kugryshev also skated with the Capitals in the training camp on September and during other rookie camps.

Russian star Evgeni Malkin gave an interview to Vasili Osipov of Sport-Express after the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers at the Madison Square Garden.
In this interview Evgeni talked about the reasons of Team Russia's defeat to Canada at the latest Olympic Tournament, examined the differences between the management of the two national teams and tried to suggest some changes to get the revenge in Sochi.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the interview.

Another Russian player joined the Atlanta Thrashers as they got Evgeny Artyukhin from the Anaheim Ducks. Ilya Kovalchuk's former team features in their lineup also Maxim Afinogenov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Nikolai Antropov.

Evgeny Artyukhin this season scored four goals and nine points in 37 regular season games.

The Ducks obtained defenseman Nathan Oystrick and a 2011 conditional draft pick.

Artyukhin's first match with the Thrashers will be played tonight against the Florida Panthers.

Let's remember that in February Atlanta got the young defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy from the Dallas Stars.