Team Russia – McKeen's Hockey

Will Bitten rising ahead of 2016 NHL Draft

Scott Wheeler — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 02:39:25 +0000

As Team OHL hosted Team Russia in Game 4 of the CHL Canada Russia Series, there were several high-end 2016 NHL Draft prospects on display for a host of NHL scouts. And while Sarnia Sting forward Jordan Kyrou grabbed the spotlight with a nice drop pass before scoring his team's first goal of the game, it was Flint Firebirds centre William Bitten who stood out among the 2016-eligible players.

Lately, the Flint Firebirds have been making news for all the wrong reasons. After owner Rolf Nilsen fired his entire coaching staff following a come from behind victory, the Firebirds players -- Bitten included -- elected to quit, forcing a re-hiring of the coaches. Despite the courageous move from Bitten and his teammates, the narrative quickly turned into that of an overbearing first-year owner.

To his credit, Bitten has been incredible for the Firebirds in their inaugural season after the move from Plymouth. Not only does Bitten lead the team in scoring, he has produced 12 more points than the next closest-scoring forward on the team (27 to 15).

After posting 31 points in 63 games in his rookie season with the then-Whalers, Bitten has bounced back to out score top 2016 NHL Draft prospects such as Alex Nylander, Michael McLeod, Max Jones, Adam Mascherin, and Max Jones in the OHL.

Early on, Bitten's 1.11 primary points per game (PrPPG) places him third among draft-eligible OHL forwards behind only Erie Otters forwards Alex DeBrincat and Taylor Raddysh.

Ranked 28th in my November top 60 ranking for the 2016 NHL Draft, Bitten is quickly rising. And while he failed to register a point in his CHL Canada Russia Series debut, Bitten created several scoring chances. You couldn't tell Bitten was the youngest player in the game by more than three months. Nor could you tell that he stood just 5-10 and a shade under 170 Ibs. A key cog in a 2-1 win that captured the series for the CHL, Bitten looked like he was just getting warmed up.

Read my scouting report of the budding young pivot below:

William Bitten, C, Flint Firebirds

Drafted seventh overall into the OHL by Plymouth .. part of Flint team that walked out after coaching staff was fired .. scored a big goal in Canada’s Group A action against Sweden in this summer's Ivan Hlinka tournament on route to a gold medal .. registered 11 points in five-game streak to start the month of November .. smooth skater who isn’t afraid to hop up into the rush, carry the puck deep into the offensive zone or take it to the net .. works effectively along the boards .. hits extremely hard, can level players with their heads down but needs to avoid leaving his feet .. stops up or twists and turns when gap closes which allows him to hang onto the puck and create with his skill .. extremely quick on his edges, buzzes around the ice .. can be aggressive with his stick and will be prone to taking slashing and hooking penalties if he doesn’t curb it .. needs to work on his faceoffs, gets out-muscled in the circle .. has the skill to be a top 20 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Prospect Update: Ivan Barbashev

Scott Wheeler — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 15:11:16 +0000

There were few 2014 NHL Draft prospects that fell as far as Moncton Wildcats centre Ivan Barbashev did on the big day in Philadelphia.

Ranked at #12 in my final top 60 prospects rankings for last year’s draft, Barbashev fell to the St. Louis Blues with the 33^rd overall pick, early in the second round.

Last season after being hampered by a lower-body injury in the fall of his draft year Barbashev bounced back, playing at a 96-point 68-game pace on a Moncton Wildcats team that finished 12^th in the 18-team league in goals for. Despite scoring at a pace consistent with the CHL’s best in the draft class, Barbashev was consistently seen more as a two-way centre with average first round offensive upside than as a dynamic playmaker or scorer.

Credit: Marc Grandmaison / Acadie Nouvelle

Since, Barbashev has continued to progress well, dominating with Team Russia in August’s National Junior Team Summer Development Camp action, leading all Canadian, Russian and Czech players in scoring with six points in four games, including a goal against Canada.

A competitive, hard-nosed player, Barbashev also has dominant size and skill at the junior level.

Off to a strong start with 18 goals and 38 points in 22 games, Barbashev’s production has improved steadily this season, highlighted by a 10-game point streak to finish the month of October and carry into mid-November, with a league-best 25 points in that period.

Not only does Barbashev sit seventh in league scoring despite having played a handful of less games than his peers, he ranks among the league’s top 10 in per game metrics for goals, assists, points, powerplay goals, won faceoffs and shots.

It’s this well-rounded game that arguably makes Barbashev the QMJHL’s second best prospect of the 2014 NHL Draft and a player to watch moving forward as he progresses with the Blues organization at the pro level.

Barbashev’s impressive vision and ability to play the game and make decisions quickly and efficiently will make him a focal point in Russia’s offence at this year’s World Junior Championships in Toronto and Montreal.

Barbashev and fellow Wildcats teammate Vladimir Tkachev could bring two-thirds of what has been one of the QMJHL’s most dynamic lines to the Russian lineup.

Fellow QMJHL Valentin Zykov (Los Angeles Kings, 2013) could also fit in as an option after spending some time playing with Barbashev in development camp and at this month’s Subway Super Series.

Relatively new to his position, having switched to centre in his draft year, it’s only a matter of time until Barbashev masters his craft in the same way he has found ways to play on both sides of the puck while producing impressive numbers.

The Wildcats currently hold the sixth best record in the QMJHL and are a dangerous offensive team that is trending in the right direction with key players back and healthy. Their young Russian centre has the size, skill and physical edge to be a good centre at the next level, and could be playing his final year of junior hockey. With a Moncton team that has taking huge strides, and ices one of the better top two lines in the QMJHL, they could make waves come playoff time.

Fatigue sets in for Valeri Nichushkin, Russia and Finland U18 reports

David Burstyn — Sat, 04 May 2013 04:45:28 +0000

A long season wound down with a less-than-stellar final performance from top prospect Valeri Nichushkin.

The Russian sniper who scored the game-winning goal over Canada in the bronze-medal game at the world juniors had a hard time making the same impact when it mattered most in this tournament.

Thanks in part to the exceptional play from Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros, the Finns placed third with a 2-1 win over Russia for the bronze. Saros shone throughout the tournament to help cement his status as the top European goalie prospect for this year’s draft.

Meanwhile, Kasperi Kapanen, Julius Honka and Vladimir Tkachev all made statements for their draft status in the 2014 class.

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Team Finland

Juuse Saros (G, 2013)

Named top goaltender of the tournament after gaving his team a chance to win each and every game .. kicked aside 50-plus shots against Team USA in round robin play and was exceptional in the bronze-medal game, turning aside 25 shots against Russia .. fierce competitor whose game-reading skills were at a premium; he was never out of position .. number 1 ranked European goalie heading into the tournament did nothing to knock him off his pedestal.

Kasperi Kapanen (C, 2014)

Son of former NHLer Sami .. an absolute speed demon .. as if he was shot out of a cannon, he would always be leading a charge up ice .. finished 6^th in tournament scoring (7-5-3-8) as an under-ager .. always buzzing and creating around the opposition’s goal .. has heightened offensive skills and a quick wrist-shot that caught many goalies by surprise.

Artturi Lehkonen (C, 2013)

Finished where he left off last year by finishing in the top-five in tournament scoring .. point-producing machine .. highly instinctive, he was always generating offence with his stealth-like approach to the game .. always in the right place at the right time, he once again showcased his natural ability to manufacture offence at the world’s biggest stage.

Juuso Ikonen (W, 2013)

What he lacks in size, he more than makes up in heart as he would battle courageously along the wall and in the slot .. played on the top line and produced at a point-a-game clip .. showed no hesitation to go after top players and was extremely pesky in Team Finland’s bronze-medal win against Russia.

Julius Honka (D, 2014)

Under-age defenseman is also under-sized but he plays with exceptional poise.. was able to keep McDavid and company in check in semi-final match, logging ample minutes while playing in a shut-down capacity .. shows the ability to make plays offensively as he has a good stick .. very clever and is better than the sum of his parts .. needs to physically-mature but showed up when the chips were down.

Team Russia

Valeri Nichushkin (LW, 2013)

Appeared fatigued after joining the tournament immediately upon the completion of the KHL finals .. showed flashes of absolute brilliance and shined in a quarter-final game against Team Germany with a two-goal effort .. played first line minutes but very little if any PK .. needs to assert himself physically and play with more intensity .. his tournament was average by the standards he set in February at the U18 5 Nations, however considering the amount of hockey he has played in the last two months, scouts should give him a pass.

Pavel Buchnevich (C, 2013)

Finished second in tournament scoring, tied with fellow line-mate Tkachev .. absolutely took over games offensively when he wanted to, but also had bouts of laziness as he would not always move his feet .. dynamic with the puck and has a good sized frame to protect the puck and make plays .. Russian factor plays into his draft stock but has established himself in last few tournaments as a comparable point-producing forward.

Vladimir Tkachev (RW, 2014)

Dazzled at the tournament with his solo end-to-end plays as he scored multiple highlight reel goals .. performance was a quantum leap ahead of his play at the U18 5 Nations tournament in February .. .. showcased has elite game-breaking skills and a silky smooth skating style with multiple gears of acceleration .. sensationally small, weighing only 135 pounds and standing 5’9.