Traktor season review: Shabanov emerges amid inconsistent results
KHL.ru continues its review of the 2022-2023 season with a look at Traktor. A ninth-placed finish in the East was an unwelcome surprise for a team that reached the conference final a year earlier.
In 2022, Traktor played in the Eastern conference final, but one year on Chelyabinsk could not make the playoffs. What went wrong? There were several factors. First, Traktor lost some key imports before the season started. Then it took a long time to secure reliable goaltending, while several intended leaders failed to produce everything expected on the ice. For example, Anton Burdasov had an excellent season but missed most of the end of the season through injury, while Nikita Tertyshny had to wait until December for his first goal.
Altogether, it added up to an inconsistent season. Impressive wins against the big clubs were often followed by painful losses. During the New Year holidays, for example, a 5-2 win over Metallurg came just before a 3-9 hammering against SKA, and later in the month a road trip brought a 4-2 victory in Omsk following by a 3-4 loss at Barys and a 6-0 drubbing in Kazan. In the end, 72 points was level with eighth-placed Neftekhimik, but fewer wins in regulation pushed Traktor down to ninth. All in all, it could have been better.
Top players
46 (19+27) points in 48 games
As mentioned, Anton missed several games during the season. But that didn’t stop him from finishing as Traktor’s scoring leader and enjoying his most productive KHL season.
31 (18+13) points in 67 games
Shabanov’s first full season in the KHL was a success. The speedy 22-year-old winger formed a good partnership with Vladimir Tkachyov and was second on the team for goals.
39 (15+24) points in 68 games
Alexei was third in scoring for the team, just failing to clear the 40-point barrier. He was also a handy man on the draw, winning 53% of his 1,357 face-offs.
Coaching
This was Anvar Gatiyatulin’s third season behind Traktor’s bench following his return from SKA and his fifth in total. It was also the first time he failed to take the team to the playoffs.
“We need to analyse what went wrong to find out where we made mistakes,” he said. “The coaching staff is responsible for the team’s results and I have never tried to duck that responsibility.”
The coach remains in post for the coming season, but with an all-new staff around him. At the end of the season, six of his assistants left the club.
Best game
On Dec. 26 Traktor snatched a derby road win, defeating Metallurg 5-4 after a shoot-out. It was an entertaining game. The visitor twice had to come from behind, retrieving a 0-1 deficit, then rallying from 1-3. In the 46th minute, Nikita Soshnikov put Traktor ahead for the first time, but Magnitka responded to take the game into the extras. Finally, Shabanov potted the winner in the shoot-out.
Youngsters
Clearly Shabanov was the brightest star among Traktor’s U23 players. But he wasn’t alone, with several youngsters making decent contributions. Mikhail Goryunov-Rolgizer (born 2002) caught the eye, harvesting 15 (5+10) points as he took his first steps in adult hockey.
Fellow forward Ivan Styozhkin (born 2002) picked up his first KHL points this season. On defense, 22-year-old Sergei Telegin did well. He played 58 points, collected 22 (5+17) points and earned a call-up to the Fonbet KHL All-Star Game. Sadly, he could not take part in that event in home ice due to illness.
Summer work
So far there haven’t been many new arrivals in Chelyabinsk. Defenseman Viktor Antipin and forwards Andrei Chibisov and Alexander Sharov are the only men to put pen to paper. Among the departures, Byvaltsev is going to Avtomobilist and will be a big miss, as will Teemu Pulkkinen. Nonetheless, Traktor has held onto the core of its team. Vladimir Tkachyov (16+23 in 63 games) signed a new contract, as did Sergei Telegin. Tertyshny and Shabanov were already under contract until 2024, and Burdasov’s deal runs through 2025. Despite missing the playoffs, Traktor’s roster was not out of its depth, so the team’s management is looking at recruiting for specific positions rather than a mass overhaul.
