General Director of Nizhny Novgorod “Torpedo” Alexander Kharlamov told that the team’s defender Anton Silaev you have to go to the NHL as an established player.
On Saturday, Silaev, 18, was selected the highest overall NHL draft selection in Nizhny Novgorod hockey history – the New Jersey Devils selected the Russian with the 10th pick.
— Anton is a great guy, to his credit. And this is an indicator of how youth is developing in Nizhny Novgorod. It is necessary to note the entire vertical of Torpedo, starting from the children’s school, because Silaev is our student, he went through the junior and youth ranks and began playing in the KHL at the age of 17 years. And it has proven itself well! And here is the result: it was appreciated abroad.
It’s been a long time since we had such defenders. God has endowed the guy with dimensions (200 cm / 94 kg), good mobility and fast skating. All these factors are combined and all that remains is to develop all this economy.
Silaev has a contract with Torpedo until 2026. It is valuable that he develops under the leadership of Igor Larionov and we give a chance to many young people. Why not? Due to international restrictions, we don’t have such a huge player market. We have to give our guys the opportunity.
I don’t know what awaits Anton one day in New Jersey. Everything changes quickly. The Devils were a purely defensive team when Lou Lamoriello was there. But that didn’t stop him from winning the Stanley Cup. Now, New Jersey plays offense and relies on youth.
The point here is different – yes, Silaev was highly regarded. But this is just a step forward. And then everything depends on him. You need to be a good KHL hockey player so as not to get lost in the NHL. On behalf of the Torpedo management, I congratulate Anton. And I advise him not to rush. If you go to the NHL, then as an already established player. Much will depend on his agents and mood. But the fact is that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Over the next two years, Silaev will be among those Torpedo bets on. We are opening a new arena. And we want to keep the core of the club and not recruit 12 to 15 new players out of season. Now we maintain the core and Anton is part of it,” Kharlamov said in an interview with .
During the regular season and playoffs of the 2023/24 KHL season, Silaev played 68 games for the Torpedo, scoring 13 points (3 goals + 10 assists).
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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.
