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Salavat Yulaev season review: first-round exit after a solid start
KHL.ru continues reviewing the 2022-2023 season for the league’s teams with a trip to Ufa. Salavat Yulaev ended the regular season in second place in the Eastern Conference, but consequently lost to seventh-seeded Admiral.
The regular season for Salavat Yulaev has certainly been a success. Viktor Kozlov’s team consistently earned points throughout the season and spent a long time near the top. Securing a high second position in the standings was confirmed by a fantastic finish: Salavat Yulaev won eight out of its last nine matches of the season, including victories against direct competitors like Sibir, Avtomobilist, and Metallurg. This propelled them into the playoffs as one of the favorites in the first round.
It’s worth noting that Salavat Yulaev wasn’t solely focused on defense, but their reliability near their own goal allowed them to have a solid showing in the championship’s first stage.
So, one of the conference leaders with a strong defense enters the playoffs, facing a team that finished in a modest seventh place. Is everything decided? Not quite!
Salavat Yulaev couldn’t overcome Admiral, losing a series of six dramatic matches. In some games, it seemed like Salavat Yulaev didn’t have a Plan B when Plan A didn’t work, while Admiral showed patience and character. Especially in extra time – outside the regulation time, Salavat Yulaev lost three matches in the series.
Top players
53 (30+23) points in 73 games
In his very first season with Salavat Yulaev, Chmelevski emerged as one of the team leaders. Throughout the championship, Alexander proved to be the second top scorer for the Ufa side, the leading sniper, and the absolute leader in game-winning goals (8). Chmelevski particularly excelled in crucial moments, with four goals to his name in OT. The American forward didn’t fade away in the playoffs either. Although Salavat Yulaev didn’t have a successful series against Admiral, Chmelevski can’t be blamed for it, as he contributed with four goals and one assist in six games.
55 (19+36) points in 73 games
The forward had his best season in his career, setting new personal records in all key performance indicators. Moreover, Shmelyov once again proved himself to be one of the most disciplined players in the League, as he received only four penalty minutes throughout the season.
42 (14+28) points in 73 games
Kadeikin has completed his third consecutive season with over 40 points, once again demonstrating outstanding results on the faceoff dots and confirming his status as one of the top Russian centers. Interestingly, in the regular season, Kadeikin won 57.9% of faceoffs, while in the elimination stage he performed even more confidently, with an impressive 62% success rate.
Head coach
The 2022-2023 campaign marked Victor Kozlov’s first full season as the head coach of Salavat Yulaev. Under his guidance, the team performed quite well in the regular season. The Ufa side secured the second spot in the Eastern Conference and finished fifth overall in the standings. A notable characteristic of his team was their solid defense, as they conceded only 141 goals, with only Admiral (139) and Lokomotiv (122) allowing fewer.
“The season provided us, the coaching staff, with a lot of food for thought. It was a very challenging season as the team went through ups and downs, facing difficulties and celebrating victories. The playoff series against Admiral left a bitter taste that we are still experiencing,” Kozlov said to sum the season up.
Best game
The Green Derby is always intriguing. At the end of October, Salavat Yulaev faced Ak Bars twice within a span of four days, and emerged victorious on both occasions. First, they won on the road by a narrow margin, and then in front of their home crowd with a more convincing scoreline of 4:1.
That game can be considered the best for the Ufa side in the season. Ak Bars, perhaps, had the upper hand in terms of activity (32 shots on goal compared to Ufa’s 21), but Salavat Yulaev showed patience in defense, and then efficiently capitalized on their opportunities. The score was 2:0 after the first period and 3:1 after the second. In the 54th minute, Vladislav Kartayev sealed the game. However, the main heroes of the match were Sergei Shmelyov (scoring twice) and Ilya Ezhov, who made 31 saves.
Youngsters
Shakir Mukhamadullin emerged as the second-leading goal scorer and the top-assisting defenseman for Salavat Yulaev. The blueliner, who celebrated his 21st birthday during the season, accumulated 27 points (7 goals and 20 assists). Additionally, Shakir boasted the highest differential among Salavat Yulaev’s defensemen with a plus-17 rating.
Among the young forwards, Danil Bashkirov (7+12), Alexey Pustozyorov (13+4), and Danil Alalykin (9+8) stood out with their notable contributions.
Summer progress
The biggest loss for Salavat Yulaev during this offseason was Alexander Kadeikin, who departed for SKA. It can’t be said that the Ufa franchise has been very active in the transfer market (partly due to the temporary ban on registering new contracts imposed by the League), but they have made some interesting acquisitions.
Following a trade, Salavat acquired goaltender Alexander Samonov, who showcased his skills impressively with Severstal. The organization didn’t hesitate to trade their own prospect Danil Aymurzin for him.
There has also been a significant strengthening of the attack. Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Alexander Sharov, who were leaders for Neftekhimik and Sibir respectively in previous seasons, will be now playing for Salavat Yulaev.
