The last Across the Pond column focused on European UFA forwards who could well find their way to an NHL berth in the not-so-distant future. The premise of this article is not so different, except instead of forwards it will examine five players who earn their living primarily helping keep the opposition off the scoreboard.
Niclas Burström
LHD | Skellefteå AIK, SHL
Each year when NHL teams begin to announce the signing of European UFAs, I expect the undersized puck-mover from the “Gold Town” of Skellefteå in northern Sweden to be snapped up by someone. For the four seasons Burström has been one of the best young blue-liners in the SHL, and his play in arguably the third best league on earth has resulted in no less than 35 appearances for the ‘Tre Kronor’ including a solid showing at the 2014 World Championships.
Just going off Burström’s size you would likely get the wrong impression of what kind of player he is. Yes, like most undersized defensemen he is agile and aggressive offensively. In fact he may be the best defenseman playing in Europe right now at pinching and involving himself in play deep in the offensive zone, but those skills to not entirely define him. Burström defies his small frame with the grit he plays with. Feisty would be a word that immediately springs to mind when speaking about the man from Västerbotten County. He is generally all over the ice, pressuring players at both ends.
Not a player who generally seeks the hit, despite the grit he plays with, he has an active stick and is clever positionally from a defensive standpoint. His transition game is always impressive, partially due to his agility, but also due to his great first pass. Burström is also, as you would expect from his skill-set, a good power-play player. He has a decent shot, though not heavy he generally gets the puck on goal. However, he is no volume shooter on the power-play, and instead more of a distributor from the point who will drive towards blue-paint if an opening appears. The under-sized defenseman is also a very solid penalty-killer, and is not afraid to throw his body in the way of big point shots.
With his contract up at the end of the season it would not surprise me if Burström was snapped up next summer. The only qualifier to this is that Burström would first have to choose to leave Sweden, there has been interest in previous years, but he has so far not taken an opportunity to cross the pond.
Oscar Fantenberg
LHD | HC Sochi, KHL
Like fellow Swede Burström, Oscar Fantenberg has over the last few seasons been one of the best defensemen in the SHL for his age. The man from Kronoberg County in Southern Sweden impressed for both HV71 and then Swedish heavyweights Frölunda HC over the last four seasons. He received his first international call-up at virtually the same time as Burström back in 2012-13, and like Burström showed he could hack it at the World Championship level as well, being a solid presence on Sweden’s blue-line in this years edition.
However, it was really during the course of last season that Fantenberg really showed what he could do. In previous years he played well, and showed flashes of ability that he had trouble sustaining over a full season, but for Frölunda last season, Fantenberg started well and simply kept getting stronger as the year went on, in the playoffs especially the Ljungby born blue-liner was close to indomitable, posting 10 points and a +8 rating in 16 games from the back-end as he helped his side to their fourth SHL championship. His play helped him secure a lucrative KHL deal with HC Sochi in the KHL this season, and while it is early in the season Fantenberg is showing he can play to a similar level in the KHL, posting 10 points in his first 18 games while playing close to 23 minutes a night in all situations.
In regards to his playing style Fantenberg is less exciting than the previously discussed Burström. He is an all-around defenseman who relies on good positioning in the defensive zone to channel forwards away from danger areas, and at 6 foot tall and over 200lbs he does not have any issues in regards to size. That being said Fantenberg is not afraid to lay the boom when needed, and can surprise opponents with punishing checks when he feels like it. He also generally does a solid job of clearing out opposition forwards from around his own crease. The man from Småland province is also an efficient player in transition. He is not overly likely to ‘wow’, and is not the fastest of players, but he uses his balance, agility and first pass to his advantage in clearing his own zone.
In regards to his special team play, Fantenberg is useful on both the Power-play and Penalty-kill. That being said he is not generally a ‘go-to’ kind of guy on either. He is a very useful puck distributor on the Power-play and has a solid shot, and on the Penalty-kill can definitely do a job on a second unit, but his bread and butter is really his play at 5v5.
If he can keep up his impressive start to his KHL career, NHL teams will certainly come calling, and given his skill-set Fantenberg could very well make a solid #4 or #5 defenseman in the NHL. His KHL contract is only one year long, so it seems likely that Fantenberg himself sees the KHL as a potential stepping stone to the world’s best league.
Maxim Osipov
RHD | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Osipov is probably the only name on this list that to those who are familiar with European hockey or the KHL will frown at. I don’t blame you either. Of the five players listed here he is certainly the most tenuous in regards to a potential NHL future. So why is he on the list I hear you ask? Frankly because over the last year he has slowly grown as a player and subtly impressed with his play. In a calendar year the young right-shooting defenseman from Yaroslavl has gone from a player who was a cusp KHLer to ‘the man’ on his Torpedo sides blue-line. He started his last campaign getting bottom pairing minutes, but over the course of the season worked his way up, impressing to the degree that he was playing in a top pairing role my mid-January.
But less about his path to where he is now, what is Maxim Osipov like as a player? The two things that arguably define him most are his ability to play physical, but fair, hockey and his shot. Osipov can flat-out demolish opponents if given a chance, and is not afraid to mix it up along the boards and in the blue-paint. As for his shot, the man from the banks of the Volga can absolutely let it rip. His one-timer is a true weapon, and while he can have trouble getting it off at times when he gets in a position to unleash it the puck cannons off the blade of his stick. As a result Osipov can be dangerous on the point during power-plays.
It is not just on the power-play he is a useful player though. He is sound defensively and in addition to his ability to hit both big and clean has an active stick and generally plays a positionally sound game.
So why is it that a 23 year old right handed defenseman with decent size (6’1 and 201lbs), a great shot and solid defensive game has not been talked about much yet? Well, part of it is down to how recently he has emerged as a good young defenseman in the KHL… but part of it is down to some flaws in his game. Firstly is the fact Osipov is not really dynamic in transition. He is good once in either zone, but his play in transition has been limited, if actually quite effective, so far in his KHL career. Osipov generally keeps his passes simple and relies on his forwards to take the puck through the neutral zone. That is not a bad thing per se, but it is not ideal when coupled with his skating.
Now I will make this abundantly clear, Osipov is not a bad skater. I would in fact describe him as a ‘solid’ skater. But the issue with his skating is not one of technique, balance or speed. Instead it is that at times he does not look to keep his feet moving, and is content to glide after a few strides, you rarely see him ‘get on his horse’. If he were to transition to North America on a smaller rink this would have to change.
The righty blue-liner has a contract that is up at the end of this season, and while I doubt Osipov could seriously compete for an NHL job out of training camp, with some AHL adjustment time he could have the tools to make the big show.
Igor Ozhiganov
RHD | CSKA Moscow
Right-handed defensemen are coveted by almost every NHL team these days, as the emphasis on having pairings with both a righty and a lefty on it increases. Ozhiganov is quickly carving out a name for himself as one of the best righties in the world not playing in North America right now; the fact the man from Krasnogorsk has only just turned 24 years old makes him all the more alluring.
He has always had natural talent, but while his peers were being drafted back in 2011, he was not tearing up the MHL as his ability may well have allowed him — well, he was not tearing it up on the scoreboard anyway, but he was trying to tear strips off his opponents almost every game. In fact, in juniors Ozhiganov was probably best known for being a willing pugilist who could really throw his weight around when he wanted — and he wanted too often. Two years in a row, the youngster from just North of Moscow finished the MHL season top ten in penalty minutes. Though not all were from fights, he also delivered his fair share of punishing, illegal hits.
But his strength, grit and that penchant for a big hit is really all that remains of the ‘physicality’ he showed in his younger days. He is long removed from that way of thinking and now is far more interested in scoring goals and setting up teammates than he is with caving an opponents skull in. That is not to say he is not still a willing combatant if needs must, but his team would much rather have him on the ice than in the sin-bin, for these days Ozhiganov is a do-it-all defenseman who is a key power-play player and someone relied on to help drive play at 5v5.
For the last few seasons Ozhiganov has been one of the better young defensemen in the KHL. His excellent play with Sibir Novosibirsk in 2014-15, when he put up 21 points in 59 games at age 22 while playing top pairing minutes, meant he earned a national team debut. Soon after, hockey giants CSKA came knocking. Ozhiganov had actually grown up in the CSKA system but was exchanged for a draft pick after the 2012 season.
To say he had unfinished business could well be apt, and since he transferred to CSKA he has gone about finishing it. Last season he played solidly in a middle pairing role for the Moscow club, and impressed in the playoffs, posting 5 points in 11 games. But this season he has kicked on even more, with 15 points in his first 22 games. This is largely down to ex-teammate and fellow right-hander Zaitsev moving to the NHL. In turn meaning Ozhiganov is no longer buried behind him on the depth chart. It is fair to say that he will be adding to his five international appearances in the very near future.
By now you already know Ozhiganov likes to play physically. He much prefers taking the body than the puck, and generally looks to aggressively cut-off opposition forwards advances near the blue-line with his 6’2, 207lb frame. If an opposition makes the mistake of not keeping their head on a swivel on his side of the ice he will likely obliterate them with a crunching body-check. He is also not afraid to mix it up on the boards and around the crease.
But physicality and D-zone grit are not all he has in his locker. He possesses a heavy shot that is especially effective from the point on the power-play, but it has proven to be a weapon at 5v5 as well. He is also a solid, if not spectacular, penalty-killer, mainly as he boxes out opponents well near the net.
Given the punishment he surely gave his hands as a teen he has surprisingly soft hands, and at times can baffle opponents by making clever, skilled little plays to get by them, especially when he activates in the offensive zone. Ozhiganov is also a solid skater who has decent agility and nice edge-work. He can change direction deceptively quickly for a player of his size, and can move well laterally and when crossing-over.
Ozhiganov does however need to build more consistency into his game. He can at times make unforced mistakes that can cost his team, and while his overall defensive game is sound technically he at times makes the wrong decisions in his own zone. That being said he is a very interesting young defenseman, and though his contract is not up until the end of next season it would be no surprise if he followed in Zaitsev’s footsteps and crossed the pond to North America.
Vasily Demchenko
Goalie | Traktor Chelyabinsk
As the saying goes, goalies are voodoo — especially prospect goalies. However, trends and statistics relative to the leagues they have played in; and the goalies that have gone before them, can play a major part in identifying those whose résumé has all the hall-marks of being capable of success at the higher level.
The man from the hockey-mad city of Chelyabinsk adheres to all of those statistical markers that can earmark a goalie has the potential to go on to bigger and better things. The current season is Demchenko’s third as a KHLer, his second as a KHL starter. Prior to being a full-time pro the man whose father works as a goalie coach dominated the MHL, Russia’s top junior league. He was named the best goalie in the league months after turning 19 after posting a .924 sv% over a staggering 53 games, and bettered that the year after with a .947 sv% while also playing as a VHL back-up.
In his rookie pro year at the age of 20 he took the role of backup to ex-Atlanta Thrasher and three time KHL All-star Michael Garnett. Playing 18 games Demchenko put up a respectable .912 sv%, while also masquerading as a VHL starter when he had the time. In Russia’s AHL equivalent he posted a .926 sv%.
But last season was when the young goalie really picked it up a gear. Winning the starting job from Czech International Pavel Francouz, Demchenko posted a very respectable .922 sv% over a 48 game slate. Only New York Islanders highly rated Ilya Sorokin managed better numbers for KHL goalies age 23 or younger who played over 20 games. However, he had the advantage of playing for the dominant CSKA, while Demchenko’s Traktor team were unable to reach the playoffs. Considering Sorokin may well be the best goalie prospect in the world, that is good company for the man from the foothills of the Ural’s to be in.
As with all young prospects the most important thing is continual improvement… and to start this season Demchenko has shown just that. Through 16 games he has arguably been one of the league’s best goalies, posting .929 sv% without the luxury of a high-end team in front of him; Traktor are out of the playoff spots looking in once again this year. Just like he has excelled at every other level Demchenko seems well on his way to being amongst the best in the KHL.
But what about Demchenko as a player? There are plenty of goalies who put up good numbers but have flaws that may well decrease their odds of success in the world best league. Size has been increasingly sought out in recent years among goalies, and is one such “flaw” that no-one can work hard to improve on, but in the case of Demchenko it is not a problem. He has a slight frame, but at a height just over 6’1 it will not hold him back from a chance to play at the highest level.
His skill-set is also highly conducive in regards to giving him a chance of success in the NHL. He is lightning quick down low between the posts, and as a result can make remarkable saves in odd-man situations and cross-ice one-timers. He also possesses a high-end glove hand, the combination of this and his agility make him a goalie who can routinely makes highlight reel saves. However, despite this he is not overly ‘flashy’ and is very solid positionally.
He is not without his flaws though. His stick-handling can be suspect at times, and as a result he has gifted opponent’s goals on occasion. Demchenko has also been guilty at times of being unable to fully control rebounds, and as a result left juicy chances around his crease, though his has improved noticeably over the last year.
If he can continue playing at the high level he has shown since the start of this season it would not be a great surprise to see NHL teams come knocking next summer when his contract expires. Demchenko is almost certainly willing to try his hand in North America as well, he spent his early summer at Arizona Coyotes prospect development camp as an invite. He will still be only 23 years old next summer; an age at which most goalies have still not broken through to become full-time NHLers, so has not only a great foundation to build on given his natural ability, but also time on his side to hone it.
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