Immediately, 12 Russian NHL players switched clubs before the deadline – Friday closed the window when trades were allowed in the league. rates each transition on a five-point scale and predicts what will happen to the player next.
Vladimir Tarasenko (Striker, St. Louis – Rangers)
37 (14+23) points in 49 games
TV Match Rating: 5
Louis started the rebuild without making the playoffs, and Tarasenko’s contract just ended. He’s been sent to Rangers, and there’s two news for Vladimir. Not the best – he didn’t play on the same line with his friend Artemy Panarin, with whom he played in the youth team. “Chemistry” they didn’t work right away, and that can be seen from advanced stats. Now with Panarin until the end of the season, obviously, Patrick Kane will play in the same trio.
And the good news is that Tarasenko has a place in Rangers’ top 6 forwards. He was placed in the first tie with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Vladimir found new life in his career, scoring important goals. And he has a good chance of competing for the second Stanley Cup of his career.
What’s next: The Rangers are now hard pressed under the salary cap. They even played their last game with five defenders and 11 forwards, saving space on the payroll. We suspect Tarasenko won’t stay in New York, but will step into the market, become an unrestricted free agent, and sign a seven-year contract for big money, after finding himself a comfortable team.
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Ivan Barbashev (forward, St. Louis-Vegas)
30 (10+20) points in 61 games
TV Match Rating: 5
Another player from the champion team of St. Louis, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019. And Barbashev has absolutely the same situation as Tarasenko. The contract is coming to an end, “Vegas” has taken a role player with playoff experience for the spring of the Cup. Barbashev plays on the first line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchesseau. The Golden Knights are a solid team, they can reach the Stanley Cup final from the West. At the same time, Vegas is also firmly pressed under the salary cap.
What’s next: Most likely, Barbashev will also find himself a new team and a solid contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent. There is a small option if Ivan has a strong playoff run and Vegas decides to keep him, and Barbashev himself wants to continue his career there. But the likelihood of that happening is low. In general, Ivan is a strong generalist and his salary is not the highest. There will always be demand for such a player in the NHL.
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Dmitry Orlov (defender, “Washington” – “Boston”)
27 (6+21) points in 47 matches
TV Match Rating: 5
The most brilliant transition of this deadline. No, we knew Dmitry Orlov was a good defender. But so much! Last night, he still scored 3 (1+2) points. And in Boston’s last three games, he has 8 (3+5) points. He fits in perfectly with the new club!
It’s worth remembering that Bobby Orr holds the all-time NHL record for a defenseman with 139 (37 goals, 102 goals) on +124 utility rating in the 1970/71 championship.
Since Bobby and Dmitry are both from Boston and the Russian defender is now extremely productive, we can add another letter to the last name and call our player nothing more than Orrlov. It will be organic. I wonder if he will win the Stanley Cup this year? After all, Boston is the best team in the regular season.
What happens next: Orlov’s contract is also coming to an end and he is, in principle, ready to test the market. But now Dmitry and Boston are looming such a romance that the Bruins could well offer him a new deal. Although the team is also short on money, especially after David Pastrnak’s eight-year contract for $90 million yesterday, but if Orlov continues to play like the Orrlov, then Boston will do everything to keep him.
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Evgeny Dadonov (forward, Montreal – Dallas)
21 (5+16) points in 53 games
Ranking “”: 3
Dadonov played in Florida, where he scored 81 goals in three seasons with Alexander Barkov. But then Eugene did not agree with the Panthers on a new contract and he began to find himself in different clubs – Ottawa, Vegas, Montreal and now Dallas. It’s safe to say the Stars decided to increase roster depth for the playoffs, so in that sense Dadonov was lucky. But in general, his NHL career is in decline.
What will happen next: the contract will end, Dadonov will enter the market as an unrestricted free agent. And here a lot depends on the skill of his agent. So, in the mind of Dadonov, who will soon be 34, he needs to return to the KHL for a few more normal years. But maybe he’ll be left in the NHL on a one-year deal for a very modest fee.
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Vladislav Namestnikov (Striker, Tampa Bay-San Jose-Winnipeg)
15 (6+9) points in 57 matches
Ranking “”: 3
Basically, Tampa got rid of a player who hasn’t played a big role on the team this season. For the past few years, Namestnikov has been to Tampa, Rangers, Ottawa, Colorado, Detroit, Dallas, more Detroit, more Tampa, and now he’s gone to San Jose, where there’s no chance of playing in the playoffs. But Tampa has reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the past three years!
Moreover, a few hours before the deadline, Namestnikov again changed clubs, and now he was sent to Winnipeg. The team goes to the playoffs, but it’s hardly a chance for a championship cup.
What happens next: It’s clear that Namestnikov, 30, will never come to the KHL. And his solid agent Dan Milstein will find him another contract. True, it will be short and for little money. But the nomad Namestnikov will continue his journey through the clubs of North America.
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Dmitry Kulikov (goalkeeper, Anaheim-Pittsburgh Pittsburgh)
15 (3+12) points in 61 matches
Ranking “”: 4
Pittsburgh has beefed up their defensive depth heading into the playoffs. Kulikov is having a good season for himself, he has NHL experience and he’s capable of filling the role of second or third pair of defensive players. Extending the season is better than staying in Anaheim, where there are no particular prospects.
What’s next: Kulikov will enter the unrestricted free agent market at age 32. And the better he shows up now in Pittsburgh, the better contract he will receive. Although it is clear that it will not be the biggest budget. But Kulikov will stay in the NHL. By the way, he has 134 games left to play 1000 games in the strongest league in the world.
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Denis Guryanov (forward, Dallas – Montreal)
10 (3+7) points in 45 matches
TV Match Rating: 1
Guryanov faded to the Stars, his career was rapidly declining. So he was also traded to one of the worst clubs in the NHL with bad press and high Canadian taxes. But Dallas could make some noise in the playoffs. Montreal will not be so lucky.
And then: Guryanov’s contract is coming to an end and he has two paths at 25. Do you believe that a career in the NHL will be brilliant. Although Montreal is unlikely to make a qualifying bid. Or go to the KHL – to the conditional CSKA, where hockey players of this kind constantly reset their careers.
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Vladislav Gavrikov (goalkeeper, Columbus – Los Angeles)
10 (3+7) points in 53 matches
Ranking “”: 3
The good news is that Gavrikov has gone from underdog Columbus to a club with playoff prospects. The downside is that he never made it to the dream team. Therefore, Vladislav refused to consider a long-term deal with the kings. And it is unlikely that Los Angeles is the city where he would like to live.
What happens next: Gavrikov will test the free agent market and get a seven-year contract there for big money. In addition, it will be possible to choose a city where his family is comfortable. I suspect Vlad would like to be somewhere in New York.
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Vitaly Kravtsov (forward, Rangers-Vancouver)
7 (3+4) points in 30 matches
Ranking “”: 3
The main unfortunate Russian who cannot play in the NHL. Three times Kravtsov tried himself in the “Rangers” – three times he did not fit into the legendary Broadway club. Now he got into a team that’s not going to the playoffs, but they let him play there.
What happens next: The easiest thing for Kravtsov is to return to Traktor to be one of the leaders of the team awaiting restructuring. But that means ending the NHL. Maybe stop dreaming of this league already? However, finding a small one-year deal for Vitaly will still work. But Kravtsov’s prospects are still not visible.
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Nikita Zaitsev (back, Ottawa-Chicago)
5 (0+5) points in 28 matches
TV Match Rating: 1
Zaitsev not only moved to Chicago, but also does not play for this team. Looks like Ottawa just dumped his contract like ballast.
And then: Zaitsev, like no one else, should have returned at age 31 to the KHL. He is a good defender who can play for the top Russian club for a few more years. To be honest, Zaitsev doesn’t see any prospects in the NHL right now.
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Nikita Okhotyuk (guard, New Jersey – San Jose)
1 (1+0) point in 10 matches
Ranking “”: 2
Okhotyuk was traded to the heap, as they say in such cases. Timo Mayer, who moved to the Devils, became the centerpiece of the deal. For some reason, San Jose likes to round up promising young Russians, marinating them in farm club and junior leagues. But none of them fired.
What happens next: Okhotyuk has a contract for the next season. Apparently he’ll be playing in the AHL, occasionally flashing in the main San Jose side.
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Anton Khudobin (goalie, Dallas-Chicago)
did not play in the NHL this season
TV Match Rating: 1
In principle, 36-year-old Anton Khudobin’s NHL career is over, and everyone understands that. The contract ends, and it is not a fact that the Russian will play at least one game for Chicago.
What happens next: Khudobin returns to Russia, and this has been confirmed by the player’s agent. The most awaited option is that he will play for Metallurg instead of Vasily Koshechkin, who will end his career. If Vasya continues to play further, there are already options. Because it is too risky to bet on the Khudobin-Koshechkin age tandem. In addition, Anton may have chronic health problems. The role of the first goalkeeper, he cannot retire even in the KHL. But becoming the second goalkeeper who will come out from time to time is quite possible.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
