Trial heat: how the NHL preseason is shaping up for the Russians

The start of the new NHL season will take place on the night of October 7-8. You can find out how Russian hockey players perform in their overseas clubs in pre—season matches in the Izvestia article.

Arseniy Hrytsyuk (New Jersey Devils)

2 matches, 2 (1+1) points

In the first match, the Russian played beyond all praise: two effective actions, more than 18 minutes on the ice, six shots on target and a funny interview with Evgeny Dadonov as an interpreter. But this is in a game where very young prospects and AHL players have joined the squad.

In the meeting with the Islanders, the team leaders have already appeared in the Devils roster, and Gritsyuk himself moved to the fourth three. It turned out not as bright as the day before: 14 minutes of playing time and not a single point.

"I was tired in the first two matches,— Arseniy Hrytsyuk told New Jersey's official website. — A lot of fighting, high speeds, all the guys are bigger than me, but I enjoyed this time. I had good partners, a good team, several guys supported me on the bench, Kotter helped me many times on the ice. I feel good.

Danila Yurov (Minnesota Wild)

2 matches, 1 point (0+1)

So far, Minnesota has not managed to organize the Russian three: Trenin – Yurov – Kaprizov. Kirill, as the team leader, does not want to be particularly stressed at the beginning of the pre-season tournament.

But Trenin and Yurov have already managed to play together — and quite successfully. Yakov scored a double, and Danila made an effective pass.

Dmitry Voronkov (Columbus Blue Jackets)

1 match, 3 (1+2) points

In the offseason, Voronkov signed a new contract with the team for a total of $8.35 million. In the preseason, the Russian has so far proved that the team's management made the right choice by extending the agreement.

Voronkov was in the top three with 30-year-old checker Hudson Fasching and 21-year-old prospect Luca Del Bel Bellusa. Even such a modest set of partners did not prevent the Russian giant from participating in the team's three goals.

Matvey Michkov (Philadelphia Flyers)

1 match, 1 (1+0) point and a realized shootout

Michkov has only managed to hold one meeting so far, but he has shone in it. The three of Matvey, Nikita Grebenkin and Trevor Zegras were the best in the meeting with the Islanders. That's why the new coach of the team, Rick Tocquette, entrusted each of them with more than 20 minutes on the ice.

Michkov responded to the coach's trust with an abandoned puck, which moved the meeting beyond regular time. In the shootout, the Russian also showed himself, although his attempt was not victorious.

Unlike Michkov, Maxim Shabanov did not use his attempt in the shootout. The forward played in a threesome with the famous Bo Horvath and Jonathan Drouin, but none of them could be noted for their effective actions. Chelyabinsk had almost 17 minutes on the ice and two shots on target. Despite the zeros in the statistics, local journalists praised the Russian forward's performance, and in terms of expected goals, his top three became the best.

Vladislav Gavrikov (New York Rangers)

1 match, 1 (1+0) point

This summer, the defender signed a "life contract" with the Rangers: seven years for an average of $7 million. And from the very first preseason matches, the coaching staff shows how much they believe in him. In the meeting with Boston, Gavrikov came out in the first pair with Adam Fox, spent almost 24 minutes on the ice and scored a goal.

"I understand why Vlad decided to move in with us," Artemy Panarin, the club's leader from New York, said in a conversation with Izvestia. "It's the Rangers. There's no need to say anything else. This is a super story, a super brand that you want to advocate for. I don't know about anyone, but Vlad and I are for sure. Let's try to make history.

Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes)

1 match, 1 (0+1) point

In his only match, the Russian defender came out in the first pair and got more than 23 minutes of playing time. In addition, Nikishin proved himself in the attack, participating in the only abandoned puck of Carolina.

Maxim Shabanov (New York Islanders)

1 match, 0 points

During the training camp, Shabanov received tons of compliments from the coaching staff and teammates. Not surprisingly, in the very first match, the Russian was placed in the top three of the team leaders: Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat.

This link failed to distinguish itself, but they left a pleasant impression, especially if you focus on advanced metrics.

Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens)

1 match, 0 points

Demidov literally did not feel the opposition during the rookie tournament, having participated in three goals of the team. The first match of the preseason was more difficult for the Russian. Largely because of his compatriot Sergey Murashov, who defended the gates of Pittsburgh. The Russian goalkeeper stole a goal from Demidov in overtime, and then deflected his shot in the shootout.