Rumours from Russia: Nikulin rejects Thrashers

by James Mirtle on Jun 3, 2009 9:36 PM CDT Comment 20 comments

A couple small news tidbits from Mother Russia today as the KHL's free-agent season continues:

Former Rangers/Coyotes defenceman, Dmitri Kalinin, who is about to become an unrestricted free agent, has his choice of three KHL teams (Salavat Yulaev, Dynamo Moscow and SKA St. Petersburg). He will likely end up in Russia if there's no interest from NHL teams (a possibility given the way he played in New York).
Ilya Nikulin, a defenceman from Ak Bars Kazan, has rejected an offer from the Thrashers due to the fact his KHL club offered far more cash (about $2.5-million) than the NHL team. Nikulin was a second-round pick by Atlanta nine years ago and is now one of the top blueliners in Russia.
The Ducks are looking at bringing over Tony Martensson, a draft pick from 2001, to the NHL next season. He was in the KHL this year and led the Swedish Elitserien in scoring in 2007-08. He could potentially be a replacement for Teemu Selanne in the future.

In case you missed it, I've been offering my thoughts on the finals in Russian here. Apparently the series has been pretty popular (I'm afraid I can't read the comments).

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Absolutely no surprise from Nikulin.

Every year, Thrashers fans hold out hope, and every year they get denied. Kovalchuk could promise him the moon and stars, and he won’t come over. We have until the KHL contracts get un-viable, and then the Thrashers might have a chance. By that point, Nikuln’ll be 30.

Yes, the Thrashers could use one more solid d-man (Oystrick’s a UFA and Valabik has potential, but I still see him as a project), but honestly, I don’t see them getting one through anything save for a free agent signing/trade. As it stands right now, our D is tolerable:

Bogosian-Enstrom (yes, please)
Hainsey-Someone
Exelby-Someone

One of those two “someones” is Anssi Salmela, who apparently the Thrashers just re-signed. Exelby’s a fan fave, great locker-room guy, and played well until he hurt his leg, so he might still be viable under Anderson. The other one is whomever Waddell can snag. He’s been doing better at getting talent and hosing GMs (Peverley and Salmela for Havelid come to mind) so perhaps something can come through anyway.

Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?

Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.

by hildymac on Jun 3, 2009 9:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Could have really used Braydon Coburn, eh?

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on Jun 4, 2009 8:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch…..

by Habs on Jun 4, 2009 11:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Montreal’s in a similar situation with Atlanta and Nikulin holding out. Russian D-men in particular seem to have trouble seeing the upside of playing in the NHL, investing a couple years and proving themselves as top 4 d-men that will be offered $3.5m+ a year. I guess taxes and moving to another country take that away, but you’d hope there would be more athletes pursuing the challenge of the NHL than there are currently. That pursuit of the challenge is something that bugs me about today’s NHL players… it just seems lacking in general.

Anyways, back on topic, Motnreal has 3 Russian blueliners that they’ve had issues with. Alexei Yemelin is currently without a contract again, but two years ago the Habs tried to sign him and thought they had a deal with Don Meehan (I think it was Meehan) but then he signed a new deal with Kazan through his Russian agent. Again this year, he’s expressed interest in signing with both the NHL and Kazan, so we’ll see how it goes this time. Konstantin Korneev is another pick that just seems to like his life in the KHL, where he’s a top blueliner and is on the Russian national team every year, and last year the Habs lost 21 year old Pavel Valentenko who left their AHL affiliate to sign in Moscow after not making the Habs out of camp (in which by all accounts he struggled).

It’s at least two blueliners that could be regulars right now on the team that they’re short. I still think they’re worth drafting, though. Usually they are much better players than the ones you can get at the time. If just one of them takes up the challenge and sticks in the NHL, it’s better than wasting your picks on some NCAA kid that flatlines in the AHL/ECHL.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 4, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Russian players like their home, and they don’t get taxed on their earnings in the KHL, meaning they can take a lower dollar amount but earn more money.

Also, with teams like Atlanta trying to lure players back there’s no stigma about bringing KHL players back to the NHL meaning most of those guys have nothing to lose if the KHL goes belly up.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jun 4, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is true, but the challenge of playing at the highest level should make up some of the difference. As I’ve said, a top 4 blueliner in the NHL is pretty much guaranteed to make $3.5m a season, and while that is less in take home than a guaranteed $2.5m from Russia it’s not a huge difference. If you’re better than a top 4, you’ll make more in the NHL than you’ll ever make in Russia.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 4, 2009 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There seems to be almost no young Russian defencemen in the league lately, and I imagine the Russian national teams are going to have more and more KHL players playing that position at the big tournament. I wonder if that makes a difference at the Olympics (or if the KHL guys surprise).

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Jun 4, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If the KHL improves their quality in the long term, it may not be much of an issue for Russia internationally. And it might be a marginal benefit, since their season ends in time for all their players to be available for the World Championships, so they’d be much more of a “team” than teams that have a lot of guys in the NHL.

What will also be interesting is to see how many players from other European leagues start choosing the KHL over the NHL/AHL.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 4, 2009 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nikulin has never shown any interest in learning English and making the cultural jump to North America. If it were me and I could make more $$ staying in my home country speaking my native tongue I’d stay too.

by The Falconer on Jun 4, 2009 8:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe they'd come to Montreal

If Gainey’s best friend forever Jarvis wasn’t coaching the “D”.

by Exit716 on Jun 4, 2009 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you suggesting

That his record-setting iron-man streak of 14 straight years behind the bench be terminated?

by TD O'Dell on Jun 4, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

To quote Bill Murray

“It just doesn’t matter.”
Next year’s team is going to suck whether Gainey forces Martin to employ Jarvis in whatever role Bob deems fit.

by Exit716 on Jun 4, 2009 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jarvis was responsible for the PP, which was #1 in the league two years running, and was operating at a #1 pace again once Schneider was brought on. He is an effective coach if he’s put on special teams. Gainey is staying out of the assistant hires for Martin, though.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 4, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And then Gainey and Company

Forgot that Mark Streit was a key element to the PP and they stood around for months, puzzling and puzzling about why the PP sucked.
Gainey’s got about a month left in my opinion to prove that he’s a relevant GM still, not some old relic that is confused why he can’t sign free agents compared to Dallas.
It’s time for the press in Montreal to hold him accountable rather than cower in front of him when he starts blaming everyone from Brian Lawton to some guy’s wife for the team’s woes last season.

by Exit716 on Jun 4, 2009 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs