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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 2, 2010 21:33:37 GMT -5
Found this on another board and ran it through the Google language translater. I'm hoping our old friend "Tatac" might check in on this one. Here's the translation as per Google: Avtsin hold next season in "Montreal"
Striker Alexander Avtsin by mutual agreement terminated its contract with Moscow Dynamo. 19-year-old striker decided to try my hand across the ocean. Next week Avtsin, the rights to which belong in the NHL "Montreal", leave the camp newbies "Canadiens", and in August to take part in a training camp for the first team. Sezon-2010/11 Avtsin hold the ocean in the "Montreal" or in the first team, either in the farm-club, according to Sport-Express. "Times" www.gazeta.ru/news/sport/2010/07/03/n_1515615.shtml (link) Hockeydb.com lists him at 6'2" and 198 lbs. Cheers. |
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Post by Skilly on Jul 2, 2010 22:01:32 GMT -5
Habs' prospect Alexander Avtsin was surprisingly left off the Russian WJC squad and in this interview appeared on Sports.ru he discussed the WJC outcome, tried examinating the reasons of his exclusion from the team and admitted that he could have been useful for the Russians.
RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the interview with Avtsin.
On the morning of January 3rd, Team Russia's fans were shocked as the national junior team just lost to Team Switzerland. Who did tell you about this result?
Avtsin: "We were on our way to Khabarovsk when my mom texted me about the result. We were landing and I read her messages."
Did this upset you a lot?
Avtsin: (Pause) "Of course this upset me, it can't be the other way around. In this team there were many players that I faced while playing in the junior leagues. But I “lamented” a bit. We had the match against Amur in front of us. Try to understand me, I wasn't a player of this team and in my mind there was only Dynamo Moscow and the KHL."
Didn't you send a comforting SMS to your friends in Canada?
Avtsin: "No. (grins) The guys would think about it even without my SMS. In such moments, I know by myself, it's better that others leave you alone. You are one on one with your thoughts. You delve into yourself."
In the media many experts discussed if Avtsin should have gone to the WJC. What do you think yourself?
Avtsin: "In December I was in good shape, I scored in the KHL against Neftekhimik and SKA. I think that I could have been useful for our team in Canada. I would have give all for the win. But I wasn't needed and I wasn't invited."
It's evident that Vladimir Plyuschev didn't consider you part of this team. Maybe there was some conflict with the coach?
Avtsin: "With me? (smiles) What conflict can be there if he's a coach and I am a player. I was called twice in national team's camps, when Plyuschev was still working with the U-18 team. I was training in the team's fourth-fifth lines and thus I was sent back home."
And didn't you talk face-to-face with him?
Avtsin: "You know, it seems to me that he talks face-to-face with players from the top two lines only."
Interesting. Is it normal, in your opinion?
Avtsin: "I can't reply to this question. My task is to play hockey and not to discuss coaches. Probably it's what he needed in that moment."
What do you think team Russia lacked of to get to the semifinals?
Avtsin: "Perhaps just some luck. Yes, the team lost to Switzerland in this one game. But no one could say what happened if the game would be re-played other three or four times. That's hockey, the better team doesn't win all the times. And sometimes around the New Year there are sensations."
Last year's U-18 team core was made up of the same players from this year's team. Tarasenko, Burmistrov, Kitsyn, Orlov, Bobkov, Pivtsakin. There were almost no new players. Why?
Avtsin: "We can only try to guess. It's evident that Plyuschev only trusted the players that played in last year's U-18 WJC. This is a coach's choice and we have to live with it."
Team Russia's result in this year's can't be called anything different from a disaster. If there will be another coach behind the bench and he calls you, will you report?
Avtsin: "I wouldn't think twice. I'd just pack my things and get to the camp. I say a commonplace, but I will always play for team Russia. But there must also be the desire to see me in the squad from the management."
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Post by BadCompany on Jul 3, 2010 8:35:19 GMT -5
Various reports, including in the Gazette this morning, say Avstin is coming to the Habs summer development camp.
Of course he's been here before, so I wouldn't read too much into that. As always, until I hear Michel Lacroix calling out his name at the Bell Center...
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jul 3, 2010 8:41:33 GMT -5
Of course he's been here before, Has he ? I know he cancelled at the last minute last year and did not come but was he here before that ? I was under the impression this would be Avstsin first NA camp ever. |
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Post by HABsurd on Jul 4, 2010 7:24:09 GMT -5
ALEXANDER AVTSIN PARTS WITH DYNAMO MOSCOW by Alessandro Seren Rosso on Jul 3, 2010 02:43 AM Alexander Avtsin and Dynamo Moscow decided to break the player's contract as he wants to try and get a spot with the Canadiens, as reported by Sport-Express. During the last couple of months there was a lot of speculation around Avtsin's contract as he was under contract with Dynamo, but now he decided to report to North America. Avtsin, 19, will skate in next week's rookie camp with the Habs, and then will skate in the main team's training camp in late August. The promising right winger had three goals and six assists with Dynamo last year, but a wrist injury in January prematurely ended his season. www.russianprospect.com/news/alexander-avtsin-parts-with-dynamo-moscow |
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Post by BadCompany on Jul 4, 2010 9:49:02 GMT -5
Hmmm... I'm feeling especially sceptical these days...
Didn't Moscow Dynamo fold recently? Didn't they merge with another organization, thus throwing a bunch of players out of work? Including, perhaps, a 4th line kid who didn't play much and who suffered a serious wrist injury? Could it be... um... could it be that Avtsin was actually dumped by his now defunct team and is looking for work anywhere he can find it? Isn't that why Pavel Valentenko of all people, also formerly of Moscow Dynamo, is also reporting to North America, to the New York Ranger's development camp, swearing that he always wanted to play in the NHL?
It's so hard to know what exactly is going on over there...
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Post by seventeen on Jul 4, 2010 13:53:16 GMT -5
My we're skeptical. You'd think we've been fooled before. I would think most players are fairly honest if asked for explanations. Agents on the other hand.
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Post by oldhabsfan on Jul 4, 2010 16:30:54 GMT -5
Avtsin: "I can't reply to this question. My task is to play hockey and not to discuss coaches. Avtsin seems like a smart, alert, level-headed kid who understands that a journalist may not necessarily have his best interests at heart. At the same time the rest of the interview shows someone who understands the media's need for copy and his own duty to deal with the public in a patient, amiable way. He seems very different from Sergei Kostitsyn, for which God be thanked. |
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Post by Roggy on Jul 4, 2010 19:26:59 GMT -5
Whatever the reason for Avtsin coming to North America, it's only good news. It's not like he's being kicked off Dynamo and relegated to the Canadiens. He still has to go through prospect camp, and training camp etc to have a shot at making the team. I'm incredibly happy that he's coming over, he was always considered a huge talent, so hopefully he can progress in his development playing somewhere in North America.
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Post by BadCompany on Jul 5, 2010 9:50:39 GMT -5
Hey, I hope it works out too. From the sounds of it his skill set is very enticing (though being left off the Russian World Junior team is somewhat alarming). But I question his motivation, which I think is fair given our history with Russians. Why is he coming over now, coincidentally enough when his former team is going belly up? And how long will he be willing to stick it out should he not make the NHL right out of camp? For Valentenko it was one year in the AHL until he got sick of Hamilton and bolted back home. For Perezhogin it was longer, but he too eventually had enough. Korneev and Emelin won't even try. What is Avtsin's limit? Is there one? If he is cut, and then receives another offer from a KHL team will he ride the buses here for lesser money, "in the hopes that?"
Like I said, I hope he's Ovchekin-light too... but I worry... I worry...
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Post by The Habitual Fan on Jul 5, 2010 11:21:04 GMT -5
You can't sterotype all Russian players as being a problem or not interested in coming to North America to make the NHL. First off with no transfer agreement in place and big money offered by the KHL it is only natural for a young player to stay as close to home as possible. Many of the young Russian players such as Perezhogin was looking at playing on 3-4th lines with reduced minutes in the NHL or playing top minutes somewhere else. No disprespect to Hamilton but it is not living the dream of living the highlife of an NHL player.
There are also many North American players that could be a servicable 3-4 line NHL player for many teams but have chosen to play in Europe because of the money and ice time. Pro careers are short and can end with one fluke injury so its perfectly understandable you want to max out your financial options.
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Post by Patty Roy on Jul 5, 2010 11:33:16 GMT -5
I'm cautiously optimistic here.
The guy obviously has an interesting skill set, and great size. Will be great to have him in NA is he follows thru on this. Now more than ever i do think we have some openings on the 3rd and 4th line, so while i wouldn't expect him to make it out of camp or anything that radical...if he does come to NA and performs well in Hamilton i could see him getting his cup of tea as early as this season and possibly getting shot at a full time spot the following season.
That is IF he comes over...and IF he's any good! :-)
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Post by seventeen on Jul 6, 2010 1:31:15 GMT -5
Hey, I hope it works out too. From the sounds of it his skill set is very enticing (though being left off the Russian World Junior team is somewhat alarming). But I question his motivation, which I think is fair given our history with Russians. Why is he coming over now, coincidentally enough when his former team is going belly up? And how long will he be willing to stick it out should he not make the NHL right out of camp? Hey, if my employer went belly up and someone else had expressed interest in my services, I'd be bellying right up to the bar (which is not a bad idea most days of the week). The key, as you point out, is how does he react when he's here and runs into obstacles? BTW, I'm not ready to annoint him the next Ovechkin. Where the hell did that label come from? I think his maximum upside is maybe a top 6 forward, emphasis on the 2nd line, or a good 3rd line two way centre. Ovechkin? No one with that kind of potential gets drafted in the 'later' rounds. Unless of course you count Datsyuk or Zetterstrom, or Luc Robitaille, or Brett Hull, or Andrei Markov, etc. etc. But at least those guys were stars at various levels. Avtsin, not so much. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 6, 2010 16:02:21 GMT -5
PG held the annual GM's "we are happy with the team and will rely from within" speech today at 3:00 pm EDT. He also confirmed that Avtsin would like to stay and play in NA and that contract negotiations are currently underway with him (source Habs I/O). habsinsideout.com/main/36529He is only 19 years old, so get the kid to Hamilton this fall and see what he can do. He was already playing against men in the KHL last season and was starting to get more ice time and get on the scoresheet when he had that wrist injury. |
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