1. Pavel Datsyuk Position: Center Team: AK Bars Kazan Born: 1978 Height: 5.11 Weight: 190 Drafted: 6th round in the 1998 draft (171 overall) Rating: 6.5 / 10 Last season: 40 games 9 goals 17 assists 26 points 6 pim The now 23 -year old late rounder from Sverdlovsk in Russia has emerged as one of the best prospects in the Red Wings organization during the past season. He has had a career season in Russia with 26 points (9 goals and 17 assists) in 40 games. Datsyuk has played an essential role in Kazan (one of the best clubs in Russia), he is playing on powerplay, boxplay, everything. He has played so good that he has been a regular all year long on the National Team. In the first tournaments with the national team he was center on the 3rd and 4th lines, but in the WC in Germany he played so good that he become 1st line center between Valeri Karpov (left) and Alexei Yashin (right). He maid a terrific tournament even dough he didn`t register a goal, he had 4 helpers in 7 games , was +5 (best on team), won 58% of the face-offs (best on team). He played a great two-way game, lots of great passes, moves in high speed, and very good backchecks. He didn`t behave like Russians do, but he played a very good Russian hockey. In my opinion he was the best player on the team. During the year he played in 19 games with the national team and registered 2 goals and 5 assists and 2 pim. Datsyuk is a great talent that has developed into a very good all-round player with NHL future ahead of him (it depends on him). Datsyuk has got great speed, very good playmaking skills, incredible hockey sense, and great willingness to stick handle through traffic in high speed. During the last season he has grown a bit and started to play more aggressively, and that is a good sign if he want`s to play in NHL. Datsyuk has got an offer from Detroit, but he has decided to stay another year in Russia. He could come over in 2002/2003 season. 2. Alexander Seluyanov Position: Defence Team: Salavat Yulaev UFA Born: 1982 Height: 6.1 Weight: 180 Drafted: 4th round in the 2000 draft (128 overall) Rating: 5.5 / 10 Last season: 32 games 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 12 pim Last years 4th selection (128 overall), has had a terrible season both in his club UFA and in the WJC for Russia. In UFA he has played a solid game defensively, but has not been producing points like he is expected, because in first hand he is an offensive defenceman. Also on the WJC for Russia he struggled offensively and defensively and was one of the worst defenceman on the team, he had only 2 helpers in 7 games. But Seluyanov is still only 19 years old and was the top powerplay defenceman in the 2000 draft, so there is hope of him becoming a NHL-er. He possesses great speed, very good Russian hockey sense, and is a threat on the powerplay. The best for him would be to come over and play in the juniors and adjust to the North American hockey. 3. Dimitri Semyenov Position: Left Wing Team: Dynamo Energiya Born: 1982 Height: 5.10 Weight: 180 Drafted: 4th round in the 2000 draft (127 overall) Rating: 5 / 10 Last season 24 games 0 goals 0 assists 18 pim An unknown young prospect in the Russian Elite League. He started the year by playing with Dynamo Moscow, but with the lack of offensive production he was sent to the farm team Dynamo Energiya who plays in the same league. Semyenov is a long shot by the Red Wings and he is only 19 years old and has a lot of time to develop. He is a small speedy winger with good scoring touch and good playmaking skills. Also the best for Semyenov would be to come over and play in the juniors. 4. Andrei Maximenko Position: Left Wing Team: Sovjet Wings Born: 1981 Height: 6 Weight: 180 Drafted: 5th round in the 1999 draft (149 overall) Rating: 4 / 10 Last season 24 games 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 12 pim Maximenko has also had a bad season and was not in the lineup with the Sovjet wings when they played in the playoffs and qualified for the Russian Elite League. He didn`t produce offensively and struggled overall. He is a speedy winger scoring winger, but he could be a lost boy. 5. Tomek Valtonen Position: Center Team: Jokerit Born: 1980 Height: 6.1 Weight: 210 Drafted: 2th round in the 1998 draft (56 overall) Rating: 5 / 10 Last season: N/A Tomek is a great checker who has nothing to do with the offence. He has had a solid season for Jokerit in the Finnish Elite League. He is now 21-years old and should come over to AHL and adjust to North American hockey if he wants to play in the NHL. 6. Jimmie Svensson Position: Center / Left Wing Team: Malmo IF J20 Born: 1982 Height: 6.1 Weight: 190 Drafted: 7th round in the 2000 draft (228 overall) Rating: 4 / 10 Last season: N/A A young prospect who could develop into a solid, hardworking grinder in the NHL some day. He plays a lot with heart and has had a solid season in the junior league in Sweden. He was dominating physically in the league, and is a great hitter, with very good skating ability. 7. Johan Forsander Position: Left Wing Team: HV 71 Born: 1978 Height: 6.1 Weight: 195 Drafted: 4th round in the 1996 draft (108 overall) Rating: 3.5 / 10 Last season: Didn`t play Johan didn`t play because of a injury that forced him to miss the whole year. His time is ticking away……
Rest of Red Wings prospects in Europe
This is the second part in my look back on Red Wings prospects in Europé.
