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Post by Cranky on Oct 16, 2008 10:22:30 GMT -5
I keep hearing that he is the best defenseman outside the NHL. Okay, great. But when will he sign? Will he sign or will he accept cash money to play for the Russian League?
Anybody have any info?
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Post by Polarice on Oct 16, 2008 10:37:10 GMT -5
His contract is up this year, he would have signed last year but his agent screwed him over.
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Post by CrocRob on Oct 16, 2008 10:45:51 GMT -5
Emelin's been quoted (no, I don't have a link) saying he's coming over this offseason. Timmins won't guarantee anything, but each time he speaks about Emelin it's an optimistic standpoint.
Frankly, if Emelin doesn't come over this offseason, he's done for us. He's going to need big-time AHL minutes or 5/6 pairing NHL minutes to adjust to the game in NA, and it doesn't get any easier the older you get.
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Post by CrocRob on Oct 16, 2008 10:47:26 GMT -5
I should add that McGuire is probably higher on Emelin than anyone else, but he's still a very good defenseman in the Kaspairaitis mold. As is Korneev (more in a Markov-lite mold), who's hopefully also coming over for next year.
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Post by Lord Bebop on Oct 16, 2008 11:12:30 GMT -5
I should add that McGuire is probably higher on Emelin than anyone else, but he's still a very good defenseman in the Kaspairaitis mold. As is Korneev (more in a Markov-lite mold), who's hopefully also coming over for next year. The sooner the better for Emelin if he is thinking of coming over to start a career in North America. He is playing bottom six minutes in Russia in a league that frowns on the type of game Alexei plays. Even if he comes over he will have a rough time as he seems to be dropping on the depth chart as younger propects surpass him(Ryan McDonagh, PK Subban, Pavel Valentenko, Yannick Weber, David Fischer, Matheu Carle). |
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Post by CrocRob on Oct 16, 2008 11:47:00 GMT -5
I should add that McGuire is probably higher on Emelin than anyone else, but he's still a very good defenseman in the Kaspairaitis mold. As is Korneev (more in a Markov-lite mold), who's hopefully also coming over for next year. The sooner the better for Emelin if he is thinking of coming over to start a career in North America. He is playing bottom six minutes in Russia in a league that frowns on the type of game Alexei plays. Even if he comes over he will have a rough time as he seems to be dropping on the depth chart as younger propects surpass him(Ryan McDonagh, PK Subban, Pavel Valentenko, Yannick Weber, David Fischer, Matheu Carle). It's all hype and hearsay at this point, but the people I trust to know consider Emelin to be better than all those you've named. I suspect that Weber would have a leg up on him based on his familiarity with the NA game, but Weber's got a LONG way to go defensively and learning to deal with the physical play. |
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Post by Doc Holliday on Oct 16, 2008 12:24:29 GMT -5
...I'm not holding my breath on Emelin.
#1: If NHL hockey was really his priority he would be here already, like all the Europeans that wants to play in the NHL. He didn't come to play in the Juniors and didn't come to play in the Pros. That should tell us something.
#2: If he is one of the KHL best dmen, as often said, he'll get the kind of contract to match and we're not gonna be able to match that.
IMO this file is closed.
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Post by CrocRob on Oct 16, 2008 13:16:20 GMT -5
He's not one of the best KHL defensemen to me. In fact, he gets 3rd pairing minutes for whatever reason on his team. He's one of the best defensemen not playing in NA who's rights are owned by an NHL team. At least, that's how I think about it.
And if coming to NA to play junior hockey indicates a desire to play in the NHL, where's Radulov again? The decision to play junior must be a hard one, but playing for free in a foreign destination doesn't sound that attractive to me. I've got no issues if a player wants to earn a dollar or two before coming to NA and likely earning pennies for a while in the AHL.
There are all sorts of stories about how Emelin got screwed over two summers ago with respect to a contract. The file is definitely not closed yet, though it is closing.
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Post by Lord Bebop on Oct 16, 2008 13:23:06 GMT -5
...I'm not holding my breath on Emelin. #1: If NHL hockey was really his priority he would be here already, like all the Europeans that wants to play in the NHL. He didn't come to play in the Juniors and didn't come to play in the Pros. That should tell us something. #2: If he is one of the KHL best dmen, as often said, he'll get the kind of contract to match and we're not gonna be able to match that. IMO this file is closed. I understand what your saying but: (keep in mind I only know what I read on the other boards or some russian articles) #1: From what I understand he signed the contract keeping him in Russia because his agent forgot or just didn't tell him Montreal had a contract on the table. Granted he didn't play in the Juniors but many don't who end up playing in the NHL and AHL. #2: I don't think he is close to being one of the best Dman in Russia. I'm not sure where this comes from but last I heard he is having a rough time getting meaningful minutes on his team never mind challenging the top Dmen the KHL. |
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Post by Doc Holliday on Oct 16, 2008 13:47:40 GMT -5
#1: From what I understand he signed the contract keeping him in Russia because his agent forgot or just didn't tell him Montreal had a contract on the table. Granted he didn't play in the Juniors but many don't who end up playing in the NHL and AHL. ..mmmm yeah... I'm not sure I buy this "it's my agent's fault..." ...seems a little too convenient... Maybe 15-20 years go when the steel curtain existed and it was really tough getting players over but nowadays they go back and forth with ease... Especially since there was no "no-meddling" agreement back then to prevent Emelin to come anyway... Color me extremely skeptical... #2: I don't think he is close to being one of the best Dman in Russia. I'm not sure where this comes from but last I heard he is having a rough time getting meaningful minutes on his team never mind challenging the top Dmen the KHL. ...that puts thing in another perspective. Some are painting him as the best thing since ice-cream... Now if he's struggling to get minutes in the KHL, it's not far fetched to believe he will not crack an NHL lineup from the get go which means, a season or more of AHL hockey... It could be just me but I find everything surrounding Emelin to be rather cloudy... |
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Post by CrocRob on Oct 16, 2008 14:05:56 GMT -5
It's hard to know why Emelin hasn't been getting icetime, but 2 years ago he absolutely destroyed Varlamov with a cross-check to the point where there was a criminal investigation that was eventually called off. Ever since then he's hardly gotten icetime at all. He was one of Lada's top defensemen in icetime that season (05-06).
Maybe he's gunshy, or maybe he's being blackballed. I'm still excited to see what he can do on North American ice, where his skillset would be much better suited to the style of play.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Oct 16, 2008 14:49:43 GMT -5
Valentenko will be great.
Subban will be great.
O'Byrne will be great.
Komisarek will be great.
Archer will be great.
McDonough, Fisher, Belle; they all will be great until training camp opens and they have to back up the press clippings on the ice against NHL competition.
Some turn out better than others.
We have lots of depth in future great defensemen, and I'd trade any four of them for Tavares.
When Emelin finally shows up, signs a contract and earns a spot, I will start to believe.
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Post by seventeen on Oct 16, 2008 19:28:20 GMT -5
Doc, it's so much fun to disagree with you. You know that 4th defenseman we say we need? (though I'm not convinced Gorges isn't it). It's Emelin. His style of play is so not suited to the KHL and would be so good in the NHL. The guy makes the Russian National team, he can't be that bad. And I love the fact he's really tough. Keep your head up around Em. I suspect he was too trusting a more than a bit naive about the business of hockey and got manipulated by the Russians before the Habs could manipulate him. Anway, I think he's learned a lesson.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 16, 2008 22:56:03 GMT -5
Emelin has been my choice for a few years to take over BooBoo's spot once his contract is up. He brings mobility, decent offensive instincts, good size, and a mean streak you just can't teach. Not sure if his development is stalling, but he is still young and still offers a lot of promise.
Timmins plays this card pretty cautiously after being burned last time with the Russian contract when they thought they had a deal signed, sealed and delivered. He did talk to him when he was over watching the U-18s in April.
The Habs told him if he still wants to play in the NHL, then not to sign another KHL contract after his is up at the end of the season. His actions from next April onwards will determine just how open this door really is.
We have a ton of good defensive prospects, but still none have played in anything more than an NHL pre-season game and many not even in the AHL yet...so still no absolute guarantees although it does look darn promising.
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Post by BadCompany on Oct 17, 2008 7:50:05 GMT -5
We have nice defensive prospect depth right now, but lets not forget we are going to be trading three of them at the deadline for that stud #1 defenseman...
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Post by franko on Oct 17, 2008 8:16:44 GMT -5
We have nice defensive prospect depth right now, but lets not forget we are going to be trading three of them at the deadline for that stud #1 defenseman...  |
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Post by Doc Holliday on Oct 17, 2008 8:23:22 GMT -5
Doc, it's so much fun to disagree with you. You know that 4th defenseman we say we need? (though I'm not convinced Gorges isn't it). It's Emelin. ...I disagree with your disagreement.  Emelin is not the 4th dmen we need now. He maybe, sometimes, perhaps, if all the stars align a certain way, but IMO he's far from a guy you should slot in as a sure thing. As you say, for all we know Gorges and O'Byrne may just be ahead of him. Heck maybe Valentenko is as well... All in all we know very little about this guy aside from the fact that so far he has made the choice to play in Russia and not in NA and that, this year, his utilization has dropped. I don't want to shoot him down and he might wear the CH one day, but seeing is believing. |
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Post by jkr on Oct 17, 2008 11:20:37 GMT -5
We have nice defensive prospect depth right now, but lets not forget we are going to be trading three of them at the deadline for that stud #1 defenseman... You sound like a guy with inside info. C'mon - spill it.  |
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Emelin is not the 4th dmen we need now. He maybe, sometimes, perhaps, if all the stars align a certain way, but IMO he's far from a guy you should slot in as a sure thing. As you say, for all we know Gorges and O'Byrne may just be ahead of him. Heck maybe Valentenko is as well... All in all we know very little about this guy aside from the fact that so far he has made the choice to play in Russia and not in NA and that, this year, his utilization has dropped. I don't want to shoot him down and he might wear the CH one day, but seeing is believing.