Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
This.
It's not that these players want to play in the KHL - they all have the motivation to play in the best league in the world. And it's not that the KHL offers more money (though that is possible at times).
The issue with Russian players is that they have played an individual, pure offensive style of hockey their entire lives. Becoming a great player means working on your defensive game as well - and sometimes that means a couple years in the A, or time on the 3rd/4th lines.
Many Russian players have shown in the past, an unwillingness to work on the less sexy aspects of the game. When working at becoming a good pro isn't fun anymore, they have the easy out of running back to the KHL where they can get paid just as well and never have to play defense or do any of the less fun stuff.
That is the issue and it is an issue for ALL of them, regardless of what they say in interviews. Sure, some survive the process, but it is a risk for all of them.
I very much hope that Nichushkin gets taken in the 1st 5 picks - that would be a perfect situation for the Flames. Let another team watch how awesome he can be but turn into a complete frustration (in all likelihood)
Now if we can just get the hype-machine going for Nurse!
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ALL OF THEM??
Like Pavel Datsyuk, or Sergei Fedorov, or Pavle Bure, or Konstantinov, or Markov, or Kasparitis, or Mogilny, or Larionov, or Kovalchuk, or Ovechkin, or Malkin, or ....
ALL RUSSIANS ARE THE SAME
Thats some of the most bigotted B.S. I've ever heard.
Every player is an individual, who should be scouted and analyzed as an individual.
There is no truth to Russians being more lazy, or unwilling to work on their game more than any other country, just look at numerous Canadians like a Pierre Turgeon, or a Mike Ribeiro, or a Patrick Marleau who have repeatedly been playoff busts.
Analyze each guy as an individual not because of where they were born.
Jesus, its 2013, not 1955. I would have thought society progressed past this bullcrap.
The ONLY factor to consider when drafting a Russian is the economic one and the lure of the money they can make playing close to home, thats it.... KHL and business, because this sport is a business at the end of the day.