Russian to the Playoffs

Three key Russian players and the playoff roster

Things have not gone exactly as planned in Carolina. In my last piece for this website I took the position that the Canes would not flip Mikko Rantanen at the deadline. They ended up doing exactly that, because Rantanen, by all accounts, never seriously considered signing with the Canes.

The team, with new additions Logan Stankoven and Mark Jankowski, is playing as though a giant weight has been lifted from their shoulders, winning their most recent two games against the mighty Winnipeg Jets and the usually-tough Tampa Bay Lightning in dominant fashion. There’s still work to be done to build a playoff roster, however, and three Russian players in the organization might have an outsized impact on how far the Carolina Hurricanes can go once the playoffs begin.

The question of Andrei Svechnikov

Where does he slot in for maximum impact?

At the moment, Andrei Svechnikov is out with an injury that will hopefully not keep him sidelined for very long. When Svechnikov returns, Tyson Jost will likely be the 13th forward for now; that part is easy enough. But where should Andrei Svechnikov play as the Canes begin to gear up for the playoffs? Let’s consider all of the options.

Option one: Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis

There’s a long-standing perception that Andrei Svechnikov simply can’t play with Sebastian Aho—that they lack chemistry and don’t play well together. I think that’s a little too facile to say. Last season the line listed above played together quite well prior to the acquisition of Jake Guentzel. In the playoffs, Svechnikov was moved up to the Guentzel-Aho line when Seth Jarvis began to be neutralized by bigger opponents, and the line continued to play well.

Trying Svechnikov with Aho and Jarvis has some obvious advantages, because as much as the Aho-Jarvis duo has been successful the line begins to lack size when most of the other available wingers are added to that pair. You could, in theory, put Taylor Hall on the first line instead of Svechnikov. But apart from Hall, your other winger choices include smaller players like Stankoven and Blake, or fourth-line guys like Robinson, or perhaps the return of First Line Martinook. It seems as though at least trying Svechnikov beside Aho would be a good idea.

Option two: Svechnikov with Kotkaniemi

Kotkaniemi is not having his most productive season from a points perspective—nothing new there—but unlike last season’s woes he’s playing well defensively and has already begun to elevate his game from a physical perspective. There are some benefits to playing two physical players together, and if the line forechecks hard and creates enough chances some of those chances are bound to go in. Properly constructed, a line with Svechnikov and Kotkaniemi could be hard to play against, too, and that’s an advantage in the playoffs.

There’s not the same questions of chemistry with Svechnikov and Kotkaniemi, either; they’ve played together plenty of times and have enjoyed some success depending on the choice of opposite winger. It may not be the option the Canes go for, but there’s nothing definitive that would rule it out if the decision is made not to play Svechnikov with Aho.

Option three: Svechnikov on the Dad Line

We’ve seen this combination pretty frequently this season: Jordan Martinook, Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov on a line together. The thinking is the same as the thinking behind putting Seth Jarvis on this line: since the Jordans create all kinds of expected goals but not so many actual ones, why not put a scorer on this line to cash in?

The reality is that this only seems to work in spurts, so to speak. Putting a scorer with the Dads results in a burst of scoring and then long stretches of not much offensively. The Staal line takes the heavy matchups, especially at home. And while Seth Jarvis’ defensive play keeps him from being a liability on that line, Svechnikov doesn’t play that exact level of defensive game.

To me, the disadvantages of playing Andrei Svechnikov on the Dads Line outweigh the advantages, especially when playoff hockey begins. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see this combination anyway—though the hoped-for return of Will Carrier might change things.

Ultimately, getting Svechnikov going as we head into the playoffs is going to be a critical piece of the Canes’ success. It’s going to be important to figure out where he belongs before the puck drops in game one of round one.

The question of Alexander Nikishin

Is there any chance he plays?

Canes fans have been, and continue to be, extremely excited about the pending arrival of Alexander Nikishin in Raleigh, North Carolina. One of the topics that comes up a lot on social media is this question: can Nikishin get here in time to play in the playoffs?

Right now, Nikishin’s team in Russia is heading to their own playoffs. Until their playoff run is over, Nikishin is going to be busy.

His team, SKA St. Petersburg, has Nikishin under contract until May 31. If they insist on adhering to that contract then we won’t see Nikishin until fall training camps at the earliest.
But Nikishin’s current team could, if eliminated from the playoffs, choose to release Nikishin from his contract early. After that he’d be free to sign his ELC with the Hurricanes and come to Raleigh.

But would he actually play?

Here’s where it gets tricky: all of that would have to happen before the playoffs begin, because you can’t add a player not yet under contract to an NHL team’s playoff roster once the playoffs have started. Granted, it would still be beneficial for Nikishin to be around the team and learning, but given the dates involved and the practicalities and paperwork of bringing a player over from Russia, there’s a lot that would have to happen exactly right in order for Alexander Nikishin to be a playoff roster option this year.

There is no doubt in my mind or in the mind of most observers that Nikishin is going to be an extremely impactful player for the Carolina Hurricanes quite soon. But while we’d all love to see him suiting up for this season’s NHL playoff run, it may be too much to expect with everything that would have to align perfectly for him to get to North America in time to practice and play with the team. His debut will be extremely exciting whenever it happens, and Canes fans can look forward to it without concern about how soon it takes place.

The question of Pyotr Kochetkov

This one isn’t so much a question as it is a statement: Pyotr Kochetkov has the chance to be the most impactful Russian player on the Canes’ roster this playoff season.

Kochetkov has been incredibly good in recent games and can justly be said to have stolen a win recently for the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s held the Canes in games long enough for them to settle in and find their feet, and with all of the chaos and confusion of the trade deadline drama that quality has been extraordinarily valuable.

If there is a question, it’s this one: will Kochetov get the start this year in the playoffs? While I wouldn’t be surprised for Frederik Andersen to get the nod in game one due to his veteran status, I’m hopeful that the Canes will go with a true tandem this year. Both Andersen and Kochetkov seem to play their best when they are trading the net and pushing each other to succeed. It makes little sense to let one goalie go “cold” while overexerting the other, and I hope that was the lesson the Canes learned last season.

The playoffs are coming

One thing is certain: as the Canes approach the playoffs, at least two of these Russian players will be crucial to how the Carolina Hurricanes do in these critical games. If by some miracle the third one actually arrives in Raleigh in time to play, the Russian factor may be huge in pushing the Canes further along the path to victory.