The Russian Factor is Real

[Assistant Coach Ivancic]

The Russian Factor is real. Here are the only Russian forwards who have had at least 100 career points since 1999:

Malkin
Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Semin
Frolov
Zherdev
Kulemin
Saprykin
Radulov
Anisimov

In hindsight, how many of these guys are worthy of a top-10 pick? Only 3 to 4 of all the Russian forwards drafted since 1999 are top-10 worthy, in my opinion.

I think that there is a difference in attitude and upbringing with this generation over the previous one. Whereas the last generation had guys like Bure, Fedorov, Larionov, Fetisov, Datsyuk, etc., this generation seems to be more money-oriented and prima-donnas.

Just my 2 cents.

[Coach Pharling]

That's a pretty short list!
But with the draft coming up and three of the top picks with Russian heritage I still think they are all worth picking. Yakupov, Grigorenko and Galchenyuk all played in the CHL this year so the KHL factor seems minimal. Galchenyuk was born in the USA so even less so for him.
With Tarasenko joining the NHL I think the Russian factor in terms of a KHL risk depends on the individual.

In terms of upbringing and culture, I have never been to Russia or met or know personally any Russian hockey player so I cant comment. Perhaps with the Iron Curtain coming down and this coming of age generation players want as much as they can get.
Who knows, but given the Russians success internationally, the talent is definitely there!

[Mishey]

It's hard to just say 'Well, only these Russians have produced' because there's SO many factors. Russia holds the chance at international play over the heads of the guys that would be anything less than a superstar in the NHL, so a bunch of them pretty much have to stay over there if they want any chance at playing for the national team, which is something that they are brought up believing is the biggest honor they could ever have.

And the KHL makes it hard for them to leave too. Doesn't let them out of the contracts that they get them into when their minors. And then there's the whole 'Oh, they have to do their military assignments' and all that garbage.

That said, I do think some things are starting to change. There's more of them that manage to come over and play in the junior leagues in Canada.. and there's more of them that are making sure to say that they want to play in the NHL.

So, I think it's only a matter of time that Russians break though and are more frequent.

[Assistant Coach Ivancic]

It's hard to just say 'Well, only these Russians have produced' because there's SO many factors. Russia holds the chance at international play over the heads of the guys that would be anything less than a superstar in the NHL, so a bunch of them pretty much have to stay over there if they want any chance at playing for the national team, which is something that they are brought up believing is the biggest honor they could ever have.

And the KHL makes it hard for them to leave too. Doesn't let them out of the contracts that they get them into when their minors. And then there's the whole 'Oh, they have to do their military assignments' and all that garbage.

That said, I do think some things are starting to change. There's more of them that manage to come over and play in the junior leagues in Canada.. and there's more of them that are making sure to say that they want to play in the NHL.

So, I think it's only a matter of time that Russians break though and are more frequent.

Hey Mishey, I agree that things will change ... all things happen in cycles. Prior to 2000, you had some Hall of Fame caliber Russian players (Bure, Fedorov, Mogilny, etc.) and there was only upside to drafting Russian forwards. I think that something changed with the mindsets of the current generation, be it the transition from a Communist government to a more 'democratic' one. I also know first-hand (being Croatian) that when there is a government/societal change, there can be lots of hardship and corruption going on before things begin to stabilize. I think that once overall life improves for the majority of Russians back home, they will once again begin to produce their historically fantastic hockey players.