"Maybe half and half, 12 and 12,'' Tretiak said after Saturday's game when asked how many KHL...

"Maybe half and half, 12 and 12,'' Tretiak said after Saturday's game when asked how many KHL players could make the Russian squad. "The KHL is a good league, the hockey is very tough. We have maybe 10 or 12 good players."

— Tretiak says Russian team will be half NHLers

With Russia expected to be one of the top teams challenging for gold at the 2010 Olympics, could they be handcuffing themselves by taking an increased number of players from the KHL? There are obvious political and promotional reasons for Tretiak, who, in addition to his role as Team Russia's General Manager, is also the President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to place Russians playing in the KHL on the Olympic squad. But will it come at a cost of overall talent on the roster and in turn, success in the Olympics?

3 months ago kforbes 14 comments 0 recs |

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Well, I’d take guys like Radulov and Zubov over Artyukhin and Kulikov, for example. 5 of the top 6, the top 2 D, and at least 2 of 3 goalies will be from the NHL.

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by saskhab on Nov 30, 2009 9:22 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn’t doubt all three goalies coming from the NHL. In the article I linked to, it talks about Varlamov, Bryzgalov and Nabokov. Nabokov is pretty much a lock and the other two are posting similar stat lines right now.

Zubov…one has to wonder how much he has in his tank. Also, I doubt Artyukhin or Kulikov are even on the radar for the team.

As for other KHL players, Sushinsky, Morozov, Mozyakin and maybe former NHLers like Fedorov, Zherdev, Kozlov might all factor in. On defense, guys like Babchuk, and Kalinin.

Still, I think it will be hard for Team Russia’s best possible team to feature 12 players from the KHL. I don’t doubt there will be an influence, but hopefully they don’t bend to political pressure just to promote their own league by leaving off deserving players simply because they play in the “wrong league”.

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by kforbes on Nov 30, 2009 9:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The 3rd goalie is a position where you can play politics with. I mean, so what if Varlamov is better than the top Russian KHL goalie if he’s not going to play anyways? It’s pretty certain to be a Nabokov-Bryzgalov battle for the #1 role. Certainly Ed Belfour was Canada’s 3rd best goalie in 2001-02.

There aren’t many Russian players in the NHL that are significantly better than ones that aren’t. There are only 6 Russian d-men in the NHL in total: Markov, Gonchar, Volchenkov, Tyutin, Grebeshkov, Kulikov. We’ve already ruled out Kulikov. Are Tyutin and Grebeshkov absolute locks? Can all 5 of the remaining guys be healthy come mid-February? At forwards, I only count 6 NHL locks: Malkin, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Semin, Kovalchuk, Frolov. Bubble guys include Kovalev, S. Kozlov, Afinogenov, and Lisin.

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by saskhab on Nov 30, 2009 10:15 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Health concerns aside, I think those five defensemen are the starting nucleus for the Russian blue line. Markov is now appearing that he will be back.

I agree with your 6 NHL locks. I also feel that it would be hard to not include Afinogenov considering how he is playing.

Adding in the 3 goaltenders (I would send Valarmov, simply because it gives the young guy some experience before Sochi) and we’re at 15 NHL players.

Frankly, I don’t know who I would cut from those 15 to get to the 12-12.

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by kforbes on Nov 30, 2009 10:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the Russian team was at one point looking at Eremenko (KHL) as the third goalie. Kalinin will get a long look on D for sure.

I definitely concur with the whole “Bottom 12” in terms of skill point.

by Vinn on Nov 30, 2009 5:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It may be 12 and 12

But the the best 12 will all be NHLers, the bottom 12, in terms of ability, may come from the KHL.

Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Gonchar, Nabokov, Bryzgolov, Datsyuk, Semin. The KHL simply doesn’t have anyone even on close to on par with those 8. Throw in 2nd tier guys like Frolov, Afinaganov, Tyutin and Kovalev, and you already have 12 NHL Ruskies better than every Russian KHLer not named Radulov.

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by Jibblescribbits on Nov 30, 2009 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good point. Top-6 forwards, top-4 D, and top-2 G are all NHLers for sure (well, I could see some shuffling if things aren’t working out as well as they should).

by red army line on Nov 30, 2009 1:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I heard they want Datsyuk to center the 3rd line, putting his Selke skills to use. They want Ovie with Semin and then probably a KHL center (Sushinsky, let’s say) and then Malkin with Kovalchuk and another winger (Frolov, Morozov). They won’t be easy to match up against.

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by saskhab on Nov 30, 2009 2:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

although I question Fedorov’s ability to keep up with Ovie and Semin these days, the Russian federation has been very open about the fact that they want to reunite the “Washington line” from the 2008 worlds. (although I think some of that simply has to do with the Russians trying to hype up their Olympic team at home, given that trio’s popularity)

by RedBirdie on Nov 30, 2009 3:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

somehow I really, really doubt that the moment they find Feds not keeping up with the two Alexes they won’t stick Malkin or Datysuk in there pronto. Olympic gold? Methinks that trumps any media hyping activities.

will zaripov and moyzakin get looks? Morozov will be there for sure.

by Vinn on Nov 30, 2009 5:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

they talk up the idea of sticking those three out there, get all of Russia to tune into Olympic hockey, play them for one shift in a meaningless game, and then rearrange lines. It hype, just like they’re hyping up putting all these KHL players on the team.

by RedBirdie on Nov 30, 2009 11:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The way I see it is Russia can load up for 30-40 mins a game of trying to overwhelm the opponent and the rest holding their breath that the D and G hold up, or go with 3 scoring lines and closer to 55 mins a night of offense. Personally, I’d go with the former but switch if Canada and Sweden are showing two strong shutdown units, and my 3C would be Malkin. Man’s a two-way monster with better playmaking skills than anyone else from Europe, maybe the world.

by red army line on Dec 1, 2009 8:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Malkin/Kovalchuk/Morozov? Jesus, that could very well be the best line in the world. I’m just glad I was able to land tix to two Russia games in Vancouver, if only to witness that line…

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by Scotty Hockey on Dec 1, 2009 3:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think for a moment the Russians would handicap their national team, in a political move to put the KHL on a pedestal. Even if they were willing, such a move would have such a huge chance of backfiring and instead showing the KHL to suck. As mentioned, politics may show up in terms of the lines that are set up for that team. Take a KHL guy, stick him on a line with the likes of Malkin or Ovechkin, and then when that guy is near the top of scoring for the whole tournament, that’s the KHL’s success story right there.

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by IAmJoe on Nov 30, 2009 4:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs