Today at 11:30 AM EST the Flyers 2012 7th Round Pick Valeri Vasiliev and MHC Spartak will play in game three of the championship series of the Russian junior league (the MHL). MHC Spartak, the junior team of Spartak Moscow of the KHL, finished 2nd in the West and trail in the series two games to one against Omskie Yastreby who only lost 8 of their 61 games this season.
Vasiliev is a very interesting prospect. He was picked in the 7th round last year, partially due to a shoulder injury, partially due to the fact that he was a Russian. The "Russian Factor" (the fear that a Russian player may leave North America for the KHL at a young age or may never come to North America at all) has caused a lot of great Russian prospects to fall in the draft. And Vasiliev could be a really strong prospect.
He isn't a flashy player. At 6'2, 207lbs he is a big physical defenseman who can really throw his weight around. He's got good mobility especially for a stay at home defenseman and could be compared to players like Alexei Emelin of the Montreal Canadiens and even somebody like Luke Schenn. He may never be an All-Star in NHL but he could be a great depth defenseman.
Though Vasiliev spent most of the season in the MHL, he did get a brief 11 game stint in the KHL. He got one assist in his 11 games but I think his ice time tells an interesting story. In his first seven games Vasiliev averaged only 8:31 TOI. In his 8th game with the team Vasiliev played 15:16. Then the KHL, like most European leagues, took a short week and a half break before the final 3 games of the season. In his Spartak Moscow's final games of the season Vasiliev averaged about 18:46 of ice time, playing 19:05 in the teams last game of season against cross town rivals CSKA Moscow. Obviously Vasiliev only got a shot because Spartak was out of the playoff race but as we are seeing with Erik Gustafsson an increase in playing time reflects a coaches confidence in a more developed player.
But what about the "Russian Factor"? What if he never comes to play in North America? I think Vasiliev is destine to play in North America. First reason I think that is because where he was drafted. Not in the 2012 NHL Draft, but where he was selected in 2011 KHL Junior Draft. Vasiliev was the 1st ranked Russian defenseman in the 2011 KHL Junior Draft but he was the 7th Russian defenseman selected. That makes me think that the Russian teams don't see Vasiliev as a long term player. Second, before he was called up by Spartak Moscow, Vasiliev was already planning on coming to North America and joining the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL. A pit stop in the USHL is usually a launching pad to the NCAA or the Canadian Junior leagues. People like Bill Meltzer and sites like Broad Street Hockey reported Vasiliev to Waterloo as a done deal but the opportunity to play professionally in the KHL was too good to pass up. Though he may have shunned North America this year his willingness to leave Russia shows he wants to play in the NHL.
Vasiliev will likely play full time in the KHL next season and has a very good shot at making the Russian World Junior team. For now I'm very interested in seeing how Vasiliev plays in the MHL Championship series.
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