Prospects, Draft Predictions and Across-The-Pond Analysis.
Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk. These are all names that any hockey fan should know, whether they jump up and down about them or if they despise them with their every being. Regardless, there’s no doubt that these powerhouse forwards are among the best today in the NHL. They are hard working Russian players who play hard every night and are in full support of their team. For the most part, they are gentleman, albeit some may be dirtier looking than others (okay, that’s my Pens bias).
Where will Kovy go next year? NHL? KHL?
On the other hand, other Russian stars lack the work ethic these guys have and are always tempted to return to where they came from, as the KHL offers substantial paychecks and probably more ice time (depending on who you are, of course). Though it’s obvious that the NHL is the premier league in the world, the ones who do not have a passion for the game, or can’t hack it in North America head back to Russia for KHL play. This is all well and good, but many times there are players who get big egos and dislike the coaching style, or GM negotiations and choose to go back home where they were treated like gold.
Examples: Alexander Radulov, Alexandre Daigle, Nikolai Zherdev
“I’m no Radulov” - Evgeni Malkin during contract negotiations with Pittsburgh
So, why are these guys so shady? And why is it most notably Russians? Here are a couple reasons I can give for this phenomena:
- Big Ice - Going from big ice (international size) to small ice makes the game faster paced and a lot less “open,” in terms of ice space. This gives players less room to work with and it becomes a lot more difficult, specifically for finesse players and less physical players (think: smaller ice = easier target for checkers).
- Ridiculous Payment Promises - It has been a recent rumor that Illya Kovalchuk has been offered $40 Million for 3 years (to put this into perspective, he currently makes $6.4 Million/year in the NHL (via Capgeek, only ~$20 Million over a 3 year period). The fact that the KHL has big oil barons sponsoring teams means that the players most certainly win, at least from a cash money point of view. Though, it is to be noted that there are SEVERAL accounts that players aren’t being paid or being paid late. KHL = Shady Business, especially when they lure players over with a hefty paycheck.
- More Ice Time/More Recognition - Many guys in the KHL are spoiled by their coaches or GMs due to their tremendous talent, but often enough they are volatile, young guns that need maturation in a league like the CHL or an equivalent league, as to grow and mature with teammates of their own skill level (aka, future NHLers, as opposed to former NHLers). In reality, who doesn’t want the maximum amount of ice time? These players are getting it and are getting good pay, so why stay in the NHL? For some, settling for second best (or worse) is enough; there’s no real passion for the game in this scenario.
Money Talks.
Though these players are certainly talented, there’s a reason scouts and other staff members interview these potential NHLers about morality, decision making and other character/integrity questions. In the NHL, and any other sport really, character counts; to not be a team player is simply to not be a player at all. Many prospects come in thinking they will dominate, which is rarely the case. Take a look at John Tavares, a soft spoken, well mannered individual who can play hockey at a high level of talent. He’s passionate about hockey and loves the game, which is more important to GMs than a high risk/high reward type player (such as Kirill Kabanov or Nikita Filatov).
