Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
it's not just the russian factor though. Questions around poor interviews at the combine, question marks around his existing KHL contract, his weak showing at the physical combine, and his unwillingness to invest in his development by even considering time in the AHL to adjust to the north american pro game.
If things don't go well initially in his first few years, will he just jet back to the KHL?
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Some sources said he interviewed fine and that there was an issue with the translator in some situations. Honestly, a lot of these Canadian and American kids have been trained and conditioned on how to answer questions and interview properly, that I am not sure how much it matters. Unless Nichushkin flipped them off or did something downright disrespectful, I am not worried. If it was a simple matter of not being able to answer questions fluently or properly, then no biggie.
The physical portion of the combine also has a silver lining. He is reportedly staying in North America this summer to improve his training to the standard expected here. IMO, that is a really good sign.
Also, there are no questions about his contract. If he doesn't make the NHL, he will go to Moscow and play for a year. Swedish players have done similar things in the past and it was never an issue.