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With playoff hockey in Europe at its conclusion, it is time for the Hockey’s Future Lightning European prospect review for the 2003-2004 with final stats and analysis from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, and Sweden.

Czech Republic

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: Down

Since Last Report: 0GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIM, Even

After a dispute with management led to Rachunek’s departure from Zlin and postponed the start of his 2003-2004 season, he finally landed with Ceske Budejovice of the Extraliga. Unfortunately, he only managed five games before being hurt and slipping off the Lightning prospect map altogether. This was an important season for Rachunek, who had shown small incremental improvement over previous campaigns, to try and elevate his status in the organization’s plans. Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be and Karel Rachunek’s little brother has slipped from marginal prospect to full blown long shot at this point.

 

Finland

C Karri Akkanen	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Ilves	21	0	1	1	0	-3
2003-2004 Ilves/Tappara Jr. A	31	4	8	12	58	-2
2003-2004 Tappara Jr. A (Playoffs)	14	4	3	7	16	+1

 

Stock: Down Slightly

Since Last Report: 14GP, 3G-4A-7P, 10 PIM, -1 (Regular Season), 14GP, 4G-3A-7P, 16 PIMS, +1 (Playoffs)
Akkanen’s roller coaster season ended on a high note as he scored the game winning goal in a loser goes home deciding fifth game showdown against JYP-A to clinch the Finnish Junior-A title for Tappara-A. The year began with turmoil with his old team across town, Ilves, and he was eventually allowed to transfer to Tappara amidst questions over his work ethic and conditioning. The move seemed to suit Akkanen as he showed more consistency down the stretch of the season en route to Tappara’s Junior-A crown. Still for Akkanen, who had played 21 games at the SM-liiga level in 2002-2003, the year was a step backwards in his development and he still has yet to even regain the form he had during his draft year. Next year will be pivotal as Akkanen tries to re-establish his career track to the NHL.

 

W Raimonds Danilics	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Daugavpils Jr. (LAT)	NA	4	5	9	18	NA
2003-2004 Lukko Jr. A	27	0	0	0	10	-9

 

Stock: Down

Since Last Report: 10GP, 0G-0A-0P, 4 PIM, -3

There’s just no way to sugarcoat a season where Danilics failed to score a single point in his debut year in Finnish junior hockey. Danilics’ one goal and five-point performance in five games at the Pool A World U-20 Junior Championships was the only bright spot in an otherwise abysmal campaign for a player the Lightning had touted as a scoring line project.

 

Germany

D Sascha Goc	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Mannheim	49	1	3	4	87	+10
2003-2004 Mannheim	46	5	12	17	58	+5
2003-2004 Mannheim (Playoffs)	3	0	0	0	0	-1

 

Stock: Up Slightly

Since Last Report: 16GP, 0G-2A-2P, 16 PIM, Even (Regular Season), 3GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIM, -1 (Playoffs)

Mannheim was dispatched quickly in the DEL playoffs, but that didn’t put a total damper on some of Sascha Goc’s accomplishments during the 2003-2004 season. He was named Adler’s captain at midseason and responded by more than quadrupling his statistical output of a season ago. However, Goc did fade down the stretch of the season and while his offensive numbers improved they are still a far cry from the 39 points he put up in 55 games with Albany of the AHL in 1999-2000. Goc’s multi-year deal with Mannheim, signed in November, makes it unlikely he will join the Lightning’s new affiliate in Springfield next season with the uncertainty stemming from the expiration of the IIHF transfer agreement.

 

D Marek Posmyk	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2003-2004 HC Plzen (CZE Extraliga)	10	0	1	1	14	-6
2003-2004 Nurnberg	25	2	4	6	24	+10
2003-2004 Nurnberg (Playoffs)	6	1	2	3	6	+2

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Report: 18GP, 1G-1A-2P, 20 PIM, +5 (Regular Season), 6GP, 1G-2A-3P, 0 PIM, +2 (Playoffs)

Posmyk started the year hurt and didn’t make his debut for his new club HC Plzen in the Extraliga until a month into the season. However, Plzen wasn’t a good fit for the towering Czech defenseman so he transferred to Nurnberg of the DEL where he paid instant dividends for the Ice Tigers. Posmyk’s size and North American experience make him well tailored to the DEL style of play, but he is a long shot ever to return to North America in the Lightning organization.

 

 

Russia

C/W Dimitri Bezrukov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Spartak (Superleague)	51	10	12	22	24	-4
2003-2004 Nizhnekamsk/Cherepovets	26	1	3	4	10	NA

 

Stock: Down

Since Last Report: 8GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIM, Even

Severstal Cherepovets missed the Superleague playoffs to add insult to injury in an already frustrating season for the talented Dimitry Bezrukov. Bezrukov, who led Spartak Moscow in scoring last season before their relegation to the Upper League, found himself marginalized first in the Nizhnekamsk lineup and later by Cherepovets after he transferred to the club less than half way through the season. Bezrukov’s age is now a considerable factor which looms large in any potential decision to bring him to North America. At 26, he isn’t a spring chicken anymore, although the Lightning did take a chance, and were rewarded, in bringing 28-year-old Eric Perrin back to North America from Finland this season.

 

LW Anton But	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Yaroslavl	44	16	13	29	16	NA
2003-2004 Yaroslavl	53	11	11	22	24	NA
2003-2004 Yaroslavl (Playoffs)	3	0	0	0	0	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Report: 22GP, 3G-4A-7P, 8 PIM, NA (Regular Season), 3GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIM, NA (Playoffs)
Despite the fact it was a down season for Anton But and his Yaroslavl club alike, he still led all Lightning European prospects in scoring for the second season in a row. Yaroslavl was swept quickly in the first round of the Superleague playoffs by Lada Togliatti, ending their two-year reign as league champions. The loss of Blackhawks prospect Pavel Vorbiev to North America amongst other key players helped precipitate the team’s fall from prominence and even forced a coaching change at mid season, but But still managed to remain a productive member of the lineup even despite the turmoil. Now 23, But is unlikely to come to North America this season due to the IIHF transfer agreement expiring.

 

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)	29	0	0	0	12	NA

 

Stock: Up Slightly

Since Last Report: 13GP, 0G-0A-0P, 4 PIM, NA

Young Alexei Glukhov may not have tallied a single point all season for Khimik in their first year back in the Superleague after promotion from the Upper League, but he did manage to gain valuable experience playing on the fourth line for Khimik. In addition, Glukhov appeared for the Russian national team in the U-20 Four Nations Tournament which took place before the start of the season. From a team perspective, Khimik missed the playoffs by a wide margin, but they did manage to improve greatly after a very shaky start to the season. Further development by Glukhov can only aid in their rise up the Superleague table over the months and years to come.

 

C/W Dimitry Kazionov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Lada	6	0	1	1	4	+2
2003-2004 Lada	49	6	5	11	36	NA
2003-2004 Lada (Playoffs)	6	0	0	0	2	NA

 

Stock: Up Slightly

Since Last Report: 19GP, 1G-0A-1P, 8 PIM, NA (Regular Season), 6GP, 0G-0A-0P, 2 PIM

Kazionov started the season for Lada Togliatti hot as a firecracker but soon fizzled and only scored a single goal after returning from the World Junior Championships where he played on the fourth line for Team Russia. The downturn in his production is, on the one hand, disappointing, but on the other hand Kazionov notched the same 11 points that top Lightning prospect Alex Polushin did at the same stage of his career. Togliatti was swept in the second round of the Superleague playoffs where Kazionov settled into his customary fourth line role for the team. The Lightning will no doubt be hoping his development will continue and that he can soon grab a healthy amount of ice time in Lada’s lineup.

 

G Vasily Koshechkin	W-L-T	GAA	Sv%	SO
2002-2003 Olmp/Nfty (Upper League)	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Lada	0-2-0	1.87	NA	0
2003-2004 Lada (Playoffs)	0-0-0	0.00	NA	0

 

Stock: Up Slightly

Since Last Update: 0-1-0. NA, NA, 0 SO

Out of relative obscurity, monstrous 6’6” tall goaltending prospect Vasily Koshechkin quickly seized Lada Togliatti’s backup job with several strong performances in preseason tune up tournaments. Because of Koshechkin’s youth, he was only entrusted with two starts as understudy to JF Labbe and later Jiri Trvaj, but he acquitted himself well in those starts as well as in numerous mop up appearances over the course of the year. Lightning goaltending coach Jeff Reese hopes he will have the opportunity to work with big Vasily over the summer, and one hopes Vasily can parlay that into more starts for a very good Togliatti club next season.

 

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: Steady

Since Last Update: 0GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0PIM, NA

Polushin’s season was sadly cut short by a season ending knee injury which dealt a blow to CSKA’s season as they missed the playoffs for a second season in a row. The tragedy for Polushin is that with 7 points in 13 games he was well on his way to obliterating the 11 points in 47 games he posted last season and proving to the world what fantastic potential he has as an NHL prospect. Between the IIHF transfer agreement expiring and Polushin’s insistence he doesn’t want to play in the AHL when he comes over to North America, its highly unlikely Lightning fans will see Polushin until the 2005-2006 season at the earliest.

 

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)	9	1	0	1	2	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 0GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0PIM, NA

Sedov scored his first career Superleague goal this season and shortly thereafter was loaned to THK Tver of the Upper League (stats unavailable). He remains a long shot ever make it to North America.

 

C/W Vitali Smolianinov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Voronezh (Upper League)	14	1	1	2	12	-2
2003-2004 Karaganda (Upper League)	19	0	1	1	32	NA

 

Stock: Down

Since Last Update: 1GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIM, NA

What’s worse than only scoring 1 goal in 19 Upper League games? Having your 1 goal changed later by the official scorers into an assist. Vitali Smolianinov remains the longest of long shots amongst Lightning European prospects.

 

W Ilja Solarev	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-
2003-2004 Barnaul  (Upper League)	35	6	6	12	20	-6

 

Stock: Up Slightly

Since Last Update: 18GP, 2G-3A-5P, 14 PIM, -6
Normally a meager 12 points in 35 Superleague games wouldn’t garner a rise in a players stock, but considering Ilja Solarev couldn’t even find an Upper League team willing to take him last season, we’ll make an exception. However modest his contributions, Solarev seems to have finally found a home with Motor Barnaul.

 

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 Kazan/Nizhnekamsk	20	3	4	7	19	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 13GP, 3G-3A-6P, 17 PIM, NA

Vishnyakov, who spent much of the first half of the season switching between the press box and fourth line for Ak Bars Kazan, was loaned to Superleague rival Nizhnekamsk down the stretch of the season and then quickly taken back by Kazan when the young Russian exploded for immediate offensive returns for Neftekhimik. The unfortunate and sad truth of the season for Vishnyakov, who did not play a single playoff game for Kazan which was bounced in the semi finals of the Superleague playoffs, is that he clearly only needs a team willing and able to give him ice time in order to succeed at the Superleague level. Hopefully, next season, Kazan will either recognize Vishnyakov’s talents or finally transfer him to a team that will.

Sweden

LW Johan Hagglund	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2003-2004 Hammarby (Allsvenskan)	24	2	4	6	18	+4
2003-2004 Hammarby (Super Allsvenskan)	12	4	2	6