Patrik Rybar’s saves, Ioannis Kaldis’ two-way play, and Pierrick Dubé’s scoring touch. Top imports
A standout week for goalies, blueliners, and forwards, with Bobby Nardella joining the list of strong newcomers. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
Slovakia
G, Shanghai Dragons
3 G, 2 W, 92.92%, 2.60 GAA
For the third time in his career, the Slovak goalie earned the title of Best Goalie of the week. Rybar backstopped his team to two wins out of three, helping the Dragons defeat powerhouse SKA 7:4 and Lokomotiv 4:1, before a narrow 3:4 shootout loss to Admiral. Over the three games, Rybar faced a massive 113 shots—an average of 37.6 per night—while recording an impressive 92.92% save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average. With the Dragons primed for a return to playoff hockey, Rybar is expected to have a huge role in their success.
Sweden
D, Metallurg
4 G, 5 (0+5) points, +2
The Swedish defenseman had a great start of the season, showing his usual strong production and scoring points in three games from four, thus showing a great start of his third season in Magnitogorsk – his fifth in the league. Press had two assists in Metallurg’s losing effort against Salavat Yulaev (2:3), and another couple of helpers when Magnitka defeated Ak Bars on Sunday (6:3). He finished both games with a plus-1 differential. As the season goes on, expect Press to play an even more prominent role within the team.
Canada
D, Severstal
4 G, 5 (1+4) points, +5
For the first time in his career, Canadian blueliner Ioannis Kaldis was named Best Defenseman. Over four games last week with Severstal, he collected 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists), while maintaining a plus-5 rating and not posting a single negative outing. Kaldis was instrumental in Severstal’s strong run, chipping in an assist in the 2:1 win over Spartak, scoring in the 1:4 setback against Lokomotiv, and dishing out two helpers in the 5:0 victory over Neftekhimik in his team’s season opener. He also blocked eight shots, further underlining his all-around contribution on the back end.
US
D, Torpedo
4 G, 4 (0+4) points, +7
Nardella’s jump to the KHL has been nothing short of excellent. After a brief adjustment period, the American blueliner has already tallied four assists in his first four games, including back-to-back two-assist performances in the 4:3 win over Lada and the 4:3 victory at Spartak. Nardella has posted a solid plus-7 rating over the stretch, recording a plus in every game, and has averaged more than 18 minutes of ice time per night. His steady play on the back end and ability to create offense quickly made him a key piece of Torpedo’s four-game winning streak.
France
F, Traktor
5 G, 6 (4+2) points, -2
Dube is another player who had a striking start of his KHL career. In his first five appearances he’s already collected 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists), finding the net in four of those games and posting a 1+1 night on Sept. 11 in Traktor’s losing effort against SKA (2:5). Dubé averaged 14:29 of ice time, fired 19 shots (3.8 per game) and has shown a reliable scoring touch right away for Traktor. He also potted the game-winning goal in Chelyabinsk's side road victory against HC Sochi on Sunday (4:3 OT).
