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Russia is Keeping Talent Home
by Alanah McGinley on 03/26/08 at 01:36 PM ET
Comments (4)
From The Puck Stops Here on FoxSports,
So far this season, there have been 30 Russian players who have played one or more NHL games, down from 57 prior to the lockout. Talent is already being drawn away from the NHL.
The skeptics will argue that the elite Russian talent still comes to the NHL, which is clearly true when one looks at the scoring race. However, some proven NHLers are having good seasons in the Russian Elite League right now and would be able to contribute to any NHL team were they in the NHL. A quick look through the Russian Elite League shows there are teams with former NHLers Aleksey Morozov, Alexander Perezhogin, Oleg Saprykin, Alexei Yashin and Maxim Sushinsky all leading them in scoring.
Filed in: NHL Talk, Non-NHL Hockey, European Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: international+hockey, russian+elite+league,
Comments
I agree, Morozov never fit in the NHL either, as he was always a perimeter player. I’m not saying that there isn’t a problem, however.
Posted by penguinsfan on 03/26/08 at 01:13 PM ET
If these are the talents that are staying home then the NHL is better off for it. I think there is a mistaken notion that if you played in the NHL you are an NHL talent. These are guys that were brought over, given a shot and couldn’t make it. We’re talking about Yashin being the most effective of the entire lot.
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 03/26/08 at 02:10 PM ET
Is anyone, anywhere upset that Yashin stayed ‘home’?
They paid him to to GO AWAY. That is how much they thought of him. Seriously.
Posted by Laker from dapuddle on 03/26/08 at 03:51 PM ET
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Sorry, did I just see “Oleg Saprykin” and “proven NHLers” in the same paragraph. That’s gold, Jerry, gold
Posted by dash_pinched on 03/26/08 at 12:56 PM ET