Hockey's Future - The #1 Online Prospects Resource

Lightning European Report

The Tampa Bay Lightning is off to a hot start and so are some of its top European prospects. Hockey’s Future Lightning continues the best Lightning coverage on the web with another in its series of reports on Lightning prospects in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, and Sweden. Plus, some bad news about top Lightning prospect Alex Polushin’s health.

Czech Republic

D Marek Posmyk	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Slavia Praha	41	0	4	4	20	+7
2002-2003 Slavia Praha (Playoffs)	13	4	3	7	34	+4
2003-2004 HC Plzen	3	0	1	1	8	-1

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Report: 3GP, 0G-1A-1P, 8 PIMs, -1
After playing a tune up game for HC Slovan of the First League, Posmyk finally returned from injury to make his debut on October 24th for HC Plzen.

 

W Ivan Rachunek	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Zlin	48	9	16	25	2	-27
2003-2004 Budejovice	5	0	2	2	0	-5

 

Stock: Falling

Since Last Report: 3GP, 0G-1A-1P, 0 PIMs, -5

It was bad enough that Rachunek played for the second worst team in the Extraleague last season with ZPS Zlin. This season, Rachunek has landed on a Ceske Budejovice team that is currently dead last on the Extraleague table. Even worse, despite the fact that Budejovice has scored the fewest goals in the league, the offensive minded Rachunek has had a hard time staying in the lineup consistently.

 

Finland

C Karri Akkanen	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Ilves Jr. A	11	1	6	7	65	-2
2002-2003 Ilves	21	0	1	1	0	-3
2003-2004 Ilves/Tappara Jr. A	6	0	2	2	22	-1

 

Stock: Falling

Since Last Report: 3GP, 0G-1A-1P, 2 PIMs, Even
After a contentious fallout with the Ilves coaching staff, Karri Akkanen was transferred to cross town rival Tappara's Jr. A squad. Purportedly, Ilves'; hierarchy frowned upon Akkanen's perceived lack of work ethic and his poor conditioning which led to his dismissal from the team to await a move. Now that he is back in a stable situation with Tappara where he can begin to get some consistent ice time and game action, hopefully Akkanen can put the episode behind him and continue his development. He notched his first point with the team, an assist, in a 5-3 win over KalPa Jr. A on October 26th.

 

W Raimonds Danilics	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Daugavpils Jr. (LAT)	NA	4	5	9	18	NA
2002-2003 Lukko Jr. A	7	0	0	0	6	-1

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Report: 7GP, 0G-0A-0P, 6 PIMs, -1

Danilics transferred to Lukko Jr. A after it became clear he would not crack the lineup for Pori Assat's Jr. A team. He has yet to notch a point this season but does have 8 shots on goal in seven games. Considering the size of the leap from Latvian junior hockey to Finnish Jr. A, Danilics'; slow start was in some ways to be expected.

 

Note: The draft rights to LW Erikki Rajamaki were traded to the St. Louis Blues for an 8^th round pick on 10/27.

 

Germany

D Sascha Goc	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Mannheim	49	1	3	4	87	+10
2002-2003 Mannheim (Playoffs)	7	1	0	1	31	+2
2003-2003 Mannheim	13	0	2	2	14	+4

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 7GP, 0G-0A-0P, 8PIMs, +1

Goc continues to play a quiet stay-at-home style game for Adler Mannheim after his early season outburst of two points in the team's first six games.

 

Russia

C/W Dimitri Bezrukov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Spartak (Superleague)	51	10	12	22	24	-4
2003-2004 Nizhnekamsk	18	1	3	4	10	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 12GP, 1G-2A-3P, 6 PIMs, NA

Bezrukov continues to see relatively diminished ice time for Nizhnekamsk after leading Spartak Moscow in scoring last season. He notched his first goal of the season on October 17th in a 3-2 loss to Severstal Cherepovets.

 

LW Anton But	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Yaroslavl	44	16	13	29	16	NA
2002-2003 Yaroslavl (Playoffs)	9	1	2	3	6	NA
2003-2004 Yaroslavl	16	3	5	8	8	+5

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 10GP, 2G-2A-4P, 2 PIMs, +3
A slow start of the season for Yaroslavl, which sees the defending champions in sixth on the Superleague table, led to the dismissal of the team's coach last week and rumors the Lokomotiv are looking into bringing in a high profile foreign coach to take over the team. Despite this turmoil, But leads all Lightning European prospects with 8 points in 16 games. He had 1 goal and 1 assist in a 3-2 loss to Novokuznetsk on October 15th.

 

C/W Alexei Glukhov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Khimik (Upper League)	38	4	4	8	30	+4
2002-2003 Khimik (Playoffs)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Khimik (Super League)	7	0	0	0	2	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 5GP, 0G-0A-0P, 2 PIMs, NA

Glukhov has been regular member of Khimik's Superleague lineup lately after starting the season primarily playing for Khimik2 in the farm league. He has yet to notch a point this season.

 

C/W Dimitry Kazionov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Lada2 (Upper League)	34	14	13	27	26	+27
2002-2003 Lada	6	0	1	1	4	+2
2003-2004 Lada	17	3	4	7	8	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 11GP, 1G-2A-3P, 6 PIMs

Kazionov continues to play a prominent roll for a Togliatti team that checks in at 5^th on the Superleague table. His 7 points at this point of his rookie season compares very favorably to the 5 goals and 11 points Lightning top prospect Alex Polushin put up in 47 games last year in his rookie season.

 

G Vasily Koshechkin	W-L-T	GAA	Sv%	SO
2002-2003 Lada2 (Upper League)	NA	NA	NA	NA
2002-2003 Olmp/Nfty (Upper League)	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Lada Togliatti	0-1-0	1.35	NA	0

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 0-0-0, 0.00GAA, NA, 0 SO

Unfortunately, the predictions of Koshechkin seeing a good number of starts for Lada Togliatti this season have not come to fruition yet this year. It's difficult to argue with the way Lada is riding their starter J.F. Labbe as he is at or near the top of every statistical category for all goaltenders in the Superleague. Vasily only has seen game action in one game since the last update in mop up duty in a 3-0 loss to Novgorod on 10/27, posting a little over a period of shutout hockey.

 

C/W Alex Polushin	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 CSKA	47	5	6	11	22	NA
2003-2004 CSKA	13	5	2	7	4	NA

 

Stock: Injured

Since Last Update: 5GP, 2G-2A-4P, 4 PIMs, NA

A promising breakout season in the Superleague has been cut too short for Alexander Polushin. According to Eugene Belaschenko of Hockey's Future affiliate site RussianProspects.com, Polushin is expected to undergo surgery on 11/3 in Germany. He is expected to be out of the lineup for CSKA for the next 4 months.

 

W Pavel Sedov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Khimik (Upper League)	25	1	5	6	6	+2
2002-2003 Khimik (Playoffs)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Khimik (Super League)	7	1	0	1	2	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 5GP, 1G-0A-1P, 2 PIMs, NA
Just like his teammate Alex Glukhov, Pavel Sedov is splitting the season between Khimik's Superleague club and Khimik2 in the farm league. On 10/25 he scored his first career Superleague goal in a 4-2 loss to Nizhnekamsk.

 

W/C Vitali Smolianinov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Voronezh (Upper League)	14	1	1	2	12	-2
2003-2004 Karaganda  (Upper League)	4	0	0	0	6	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: NA

Hockey's Future Lightning has finally caught up with Vitali Smolianinov who is currently in and out of the lineup for Kazakhmys Karaganda of the Upper League.

 

W Ilja Solarev	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-
2003-2004 Barnaul  (Upper League)	6	0	0	0	0	-3

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 4GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMs, -2
Ilja Solarev has been in and out of the lineup this season for Motor Barnaul of the Upper League.

 

W Albert Vishnyakov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Kazan	46	7	6	13	47	NA
2002-2003 Kazan (Playoffs)	5	1	0	1	0	NA
2003-2004 Ak Bars Kazan	4	0	0	0	0	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 2GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMs, NA
Vishnyakov has spent most of the season playing for Kazan2 in the farm league.

 

Note: G Evegeny Konstantinov was assigned by the Lightning to Pensacola of the ECHL on 10/10.

Sweden

LW Johan Hagglund	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Ore/Ham (Alsvensakan)	26	9	7	16	32	+3
2002-2003 Hammarby (SuperAlsv’)	14	1	4	5	2	+3
2003-2004 Hammarby (Alsvenskan)	10	1	2	3	6	+8

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 9GP, 0G-2A-2P, 6 PIMs, +7
Hagglund has been in and out of the lineup for a very deep Hammarby club which is sitting atop the Alsvenskan Norra division table. Hagglund, who has played primarily third line left wing this season, has yet to accrue a minus this season which is a testament to his defensive play.

 

G Fredrik Norrena	W-L-T	GAA	Sv%	SO
2002-2003 Vastra Frolunda	NA	2.42	.907	1
2002-2003 Vastra Frolunda (Playoffs)	NA	1.25	.957	1
2003-2004 Linkopings HC	6-5-0	1.81	.927	2

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 4-5-0, NA, NA, 2 SOs
Norrena is third in the Elitserian in save percentage and goals against average and has Linkopings, which finished last in the league a year ago, in a more respectable ninth place on the table.

 

Note: All statistics as of 10-29-2003.