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Flames European prospects season review
Written by: Jon Hagan on 05/04/2006 
Viktor Borbov, LW – HC Dmitrov - Selected: 5th round (146th overall) in 2002
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
HC Dmitrov |
High League (Russia 2) |
55 |
8 |
10 |
18 |
22 |
6 |
A prospect with third-line potential, Borbov, at 6'2, is a player with decent height, but, at 176lbs, he's a bit on the light side. He has played well for a weak High League club, and his development continues, but it has slowed. He prides himself on his defensive play, and would make a fine second unit penalty killer. He will need to crack the Super League lineup somewhere for his development to continue.
Andrei Taratukhin, C - Lokomotiv - Selected: 2nd round (41st overall) in 2001
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl) |
Super League |
40 |
9 |
15 |
24 |
85 |
9 |
Taratukhin is one of the top two-way centers in Russia right now. Moved from Salavat Yulayev to Lokomotiv in the offseason, the young centerman doesn't shy away from physical contact. Although the move to Lokomotiv was risky due to ice time considerations, it has more than paid off. Taratukhin took the place of injured Los Angeles forward Alexander Frolov at the Olympics in Turin this year and performed well.
Yuri Trubachev, C - Severstal (Cherpovets) - Selected: 5th round (164th overall) in 2001
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Severstal (Cherpovets) |
Super League |
47 |
7 |
13 |
20 |
69 |
0 |
Trubachev is a player of small stature, but a natural leader. He is also a very competent skater who delivered another strong season with Severstal (beyond what statistics tell), and he has all the tools. Calgary may see him in camp.
Igor Shastin, RW - Neftkhimik (Nizhnekamsk) - Selected: 4th round (124th overall) in 2001
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Neftkhimik (Nizhnekamsk) |
Super League |
30 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
22 |
-8 |
Shastin keeps getting recalled and signed by Avangard because it's his home club and his father is one of the coaches and a local legend. He had a strong season with Sibir a couple of years back, but has been unable to build on it. He is an undersized quick forward, who sees the ice well. Finished the year on loan in the High League playoffs, where he proved he was clearly above the High League level of play. He will continue to get chances in the Super League, but needs to make an impact soon to keep developing.
Ruslan Zainullin, RW - Spartak (Moscow) - Selected: 2nd round (34th overall) in 2000
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Spartak (Moscow) |
Super League |
40 |
7 |
3 |
10 |
22 |
-2 |
Without having played day in the NHL, the right winger has part of the plan for four different teams. Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Zainullin saw his rights traded to Phoenix as part of the Khabibulin trade and then to Atlanta as part of a deal for Darcy Hordichuk and then, finally, to Calgary as part of the Marc Savard trade. Zainullin is a bit of an enigma. At times he has shown flashes of brilliance, leading his team in scoring at a preseason tournament, and then, going scoreless for a dozen games, flashes of the ordinary. He has delivered several strong games down the stretch, including a two-goal performance. Has great size, but the knock on him is his limited technical ability and skating. He could be a checking line forward, but he hasn't put it all together and may never do so.
Emanuel Peter, C - Kloten - Selected: 5th round (142nd overall) in 2002
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Kloten |
Swiss Elite |
36 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
12 |
n/a |
Even though he and fellow countryman Tim Ramholt did not make the cut for the Swiss Olympic team which upset Canada in 2006, the 6'1, 213 lbs Swiss center who dominates in the face circle should be turning heads soon. Peter's game is not offense, but a tireless work ethic, and considering he has spent the past five years learning his craft in Switzerland he would benefit from the transition to the North American Game, and would no doubt flourish playing in the AHL for a season or two before attempting to make the final cut with the Calgary Flames.
Tim Ramholt, D - Kloten - Selected: 2nd round (39th overall) in 2003
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Kloten |
Swiss Elite |
42 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
46 |
n/a |
Another European with the mythic Sutter like work ethic, Ramholt, like Emanuel Peter, represents the new breed of Swiss hockey player. Ever since Edmonton drafted Michael Reisen, the first Swiss player drafted in the first round, Swiss players have been creeping closer and closer to becoming an important player-producing nation. Ramholt, nominated the outstanding defenseman in the 2002 Mac's Midget tournament, is a great skater and an effective open-ice hitter.
Kristofer Persson, RW - Sundsvall - Selected: 5th round (159th overall) in 2002
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Sundsvall |
Sweden 2 |
38 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
n/a |
Consistency and a questionable work ethic have plagued Persson in the past, but it did not stop the Flames from taking a chance on this Swedish right winger. Only time will tell if the Flames saw something nobody else up to that point did.
Jiri Cetkovsky, RW - Paradubice HC Czech - Selected: 5th round (141st overall) in 2002
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Paradubice |
Extra Liga (Cze) |
34 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
30 |
-2 |
The native of Prostejov in the Czech Republic doesn't bring offense to the game, he brings size, and at 6'5, 220 lbs he brings lots of it. Cetkovsky played one year of junior hockey in 2002-03 with the Calgary Hitmen of WHL before returning home to continue his development.
Jyri Marttinen, D - JYP HT Jyvaskyla - Selected: 8th round (238 overall) in 2002
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
JYP HT Jyvaskyla |
SM-Liiga |
50 |
11 |
8 |
19 |
126 |
+6 |
There are rumors that Marttinen, widely considered one of the better defensemen on JYP, will be coming to Calgary in the fall to try and earn a spot on the Flames' blue line.
Pierre Johnsson - Mora IK - Selected: 7th round (207th overall) in 2002
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Mora IK |
Swedish Select |
35 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
-7 |
This Swedish defenseman has prided himself on always being able to make the safe play, and this is in part due to his poor skating ability. Consequently, he compensates by moving the puck accurately and quickly using the boards and quick outlet passes.
Andrei Medvedev - Spartak (Moscow) - Selected: 2nd round (56th overall) in 2001
Medvedev didn't play a single game this season in the Super League, and he is nowhere else to be found. He could make a decent Super League backup, but he just can't get it together. He can show up and dazzle one day and be a complete non-factor the next. It is unclear where Medevedev will play next season. He got plenty of chances to get it right, but just hasn't taken advantage of those chances. His Super League, let alone NHL, future is very much in doubt at this point. It is highly unlikely that the Flames will sign him.
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Evgeny Belashchenko contributed to this article. Copyright 2006 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
Copyright 2006 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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