The 2018 NHL draft is underway – and it’s already looking like a vintage year for young Russian talent. Here are a few numbers to tell you why:
At the top of the bill, Carolina took Andrei Svechnikov, a product of the Ak Bars school, as the second pick overall. That’s the highest-ranked Russian player since Edmonton Oilers gambled on Nail Yakupov as the #1 pick back in 2012.
Traktor’s Vitaly Kravtsov, now heading for New York Rangers, was the #9 pick, meaning two Russians went in the top 10 for the first time since 2004. The sought-after pair that year were Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin, who were chosen first and second by Washington and Pittsburgh.
Two Russian players – Grigory Denisenko (Florida Panthers) and Alexander Alexeyev (Washington Capitals) make up the quartet – were chosen in the first round. That’s the highest number since 2015, and the joint-highest since the KHL started.
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КХЛ 2008—2021
KHL 2008—2021
All rights to materials posted on the website www.khl.ru (hereinafter referred to as the Website) and which are the objects of exclusive rights, including the registered trademarks and symbolics of the “КХЛ”/“KHL”, “МХЛ” / “JHL”, “ЖХЛ” / “WHL” (hereinafter referred to as the Trademarks), as well as on photo and video images, articles, etc., which are owned by CHL LLC, are protected in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. The placement and / or use of Trademarks and other intellectual property of CHL LLC without the direct consent of CHL LLC are considered and prosecuted as intellectual property rights violations of CHL LLC in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation. It is forbidden to automatically extract information from the Website by any services without the official permission of CHL LLC. Quoting from the Website and satellite projects of the official messages of the Kontinental Hockey League is allowed only with a direct link to the site www.khl.ru.