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Jun262010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Vladimir Tarasenko drafted by St. Louis Blues

Vladimir Tarasenko drafted by St. Louis Blues (Photo © Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America) With the 16th overall pick the St. Louis Blues picked 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.

Jun262010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Atlanta Thrashers draft Alexander Burmistrov

Russian Players In NHL

Atlanta Thrashers draft Alexander Burmistrov (Photo © AP Photo/Reed Saxon) The Atlanta Thrashers picked up 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.

Jun252010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Detroit Red Wings offer Evgeny Ryasensky a contract

Russian Players In NHL

Detroit Red Wings offer Evgeny Ryasensky a contract (Photo © hcneftekhimik.ru) Detroit Red Wings offered 23-years-old defenseman Evgeny Ryasensky a contract. As reported by Sovietskiy Sport, he will move to Detroit in September to skate at the Wings' training camp. Ryasensky is a physical player who likes to hit and has decent offensive abilities. He was a key part of Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk's surprize run in the latest KHL playoffs, even if he didn't score any point. Later after the season he skated with Team Russia at the Swedish Hockey Games, the last stage of the Euro Hockey Tour, in which he was named tournament's best defenseman, but he didn't make the cut for the 2010 WC in Germany. Ryasensky: "I've talked with my North American agent and through him Detroit offered me to play for...

Jun242010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Kirill Kabanov’s free fall

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Kirill Kabanov's free fall (Photo © cyberpresse.ca) 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 , 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 and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Getting to America He was then picked up in the 2009 CHL Import Draft by the Moncton Wildcats, and the first controversy arose. As Salavat Yulaev bought his KHL rights from Sp...

Jun242010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Announcing Russian Prospect.com

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Announcing Russian Prospect.com (Photo © Getty Images) 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. , 9D 2. , 8.5B 3. , 8.5B 4. , 8.5C 5. , 8B 6. , 8C 7. , 7.5B 8. , 7.5C 9. , 7C 10. , 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.

Jun242010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Sharks to part with Nabokov

Russian Players In NHL

Sharks to part with Nabokov (Photo © Avelar/AP) 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 t...

Jun182010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Nikita Zaytsev: “I liked interviews with Flyers and Blackhawks”

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Nikita Zaytsev: "I liked interviews with Flyers and Blackhawks" (Photo © Elena Rusko) 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." Not long ago you underwent the...

Jun182010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Dynamo’s GM: Avtsin is under contract with us

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Dynamo's GM: Avtsin is under contract with us (Photo © khl.ru) In spite of the recent news it looks like Alexander Avtsin will spend the 2010-11 season in the KHL with Dynamo Moscow. Dynamo's General Manager Andrei Safronov declared through the team's official site that all the young players remain property of the new formed OHC Dynamo and all contracts are valid. "At the end of May the KHL confirmed that all the contracts with our players are valid. Our youngsters will stay. Avtsin and Dvurechensky have a contract up to April 2011 and 2012 respectively. Anton Krysanov (Phoenix Coyotes) and Andrei Plekhanov (Columbus Blue Jackets) are among the group of players that will skate in the team's training camp in Belarus. We will part with Pavel Valentenko. He has a big contract and we can't af...

Jun152010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Nikita Nikitin signs with St. Louis Blues

Russian Players In NHL

Nikita Nikitin signs with St. Louis Blues (Photo © Ilya Korneev) 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 o...

Jun112010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Agent Ilya Moliver: “Kabanov’s problem is his father”

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Agent Ilya Moliver: "Kabanov's problem is his father" (Photo © saintjohnseadogs.com) As widely reported in the last few days, 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. Before Barry there were three agents with whom Kabanov had parted ways, Don Meehan (and his Russian representative Sergei Isakov), Jay Grossman and Scott Greenspun (Alexei Kovalev's agent). Russian...