Former head coach of the Russian national hockey team Vladimir Pluschev believes that at present, among the KHL defenders, only Alexander Nikishin Since SKA .
Nikishin was selected by Carolina in the 2020 NHL Draft in the third round with the No. 69 overall pick. Over the past two seasons, the 22-year-old defenseman has scored 120 points (33 goals + 87 assists) in 153 KHL regular season and playoff games. Nikishin’s contract with the St. Petersburg club runs through the end of next season.
— This season, in the context of the NHL, we are discussing very little success of Russian players. What is this connected with?
— In the USSR, there was a system that gave birth to hockey players. And she gave birth not only in Moscow, but also in Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and other cities. Now it no longer exists. For example, Kaprizov was not raised by the system. His father worked more with him, and unnecessary people did not bother him. And if the system worked in our country, we would have not one Kaprizov, but at least five.
— Are there any Russians capable of going to the NHL and showing their level there?
— Among the defenders, we have mainly only Nikishin, in whom we have high hopes. And here, there is no one else. Lately, we have average players, but there are no talents, “Plyushchev told Metaratings.ru.
The new KHL season starts on September 3.
Metaratings.ru
More sports news in our telegram channel .
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.
