Major Bombshell Could Change Everything for Russian Players
A few months ago, the Flyers got the bad news that top goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov would be sent to the Russian military. This was in order to keep him in Russia.
This type of threat makes it nearly impossible for players to leave Russia, and it could entirely change the risk-factor of drafting Russian prospects.
We now know that Fedotov is returning from the military, but his KHL GM expects him to play for them for the rest of his career.
Fedotov to Stay in Russia
Per Russ Cohen, a Flyers insider who works with Sirius XM and EP Rinkside, Fedotov will be remaining in Russia.
Getting word that CSKA GM said he expects Ivan Fedotov back from the army to play for his team for the rest of his career. #Flyers #KHL
Major Implications
In the 2022 draft, players like Ivan Miroshnichenko and Danila Yurov fell due to their Russian nationality. That was before tensions got more heated, and before any of these developments took place.
With top 2023-eligible prospect Matvei Michkov having a multi-year contract with this same organization, it could be a serious deterrent for teams.
Other Russian prospects such as Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev could see themselves fall deep out of the first round as there is absolutely no certainty on whether they'll ever be able to come to North America.
We already know that Russian star Kirill Kaprizov is unsure if he will return to Russia this summer or not. Essentially, if your name isn't Alex Ovechkin, safety can't be assured.
This situation is rapidly developing, and very scary. We will just have to see how much it sways teams with the draft less than two months away.
| POLL | ||
MAI 1 | 1647 ANSWERS Major Bombshell Could Change Everything for Russian Players Would you feel confident drafting a Russian player in this years' draft? | ||
| Yes | 305 | 18.5 % |
| No | 1342 | 81.5 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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