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Nikita Tryamkin

Vancouver Canucks Not Closing Door On Nikita Tryamkin

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In the spring of 2017, just after the Vancouver Canucks finished a disappointing season at 30-43-9 and had fired their head coach Willie Desjardins. The team had plenty to be excited about though, as they’d flipped some assets at the deadline for young forwards Nikolay Goldobin and Jonathan Dahlen while signing Brock Boeser out of the college ranks and seeing him excel right away. The team also had three young talents on defense that were showing promise, in Troy Stecher, Ben Hutton and Nikita Tryamkin. Unfortunately, the latter decided to return to Russia and the KHL after his first full NHL season and has been there ever since.

Now 24, Tryamkin is in the midst of his second season with his hometown Yekaterinburg since returning to the KHL, and is continuing his development. After averaging more than 21 minutes a night last season, his numbers have dropped to a still-repsectible 19 minutes on average. The massive 6’7″ defenseman has just three points on the season, but is still a very interesting player for the Canucks to keep an eye on. Though Tryamkin is signed until 2020 in the KHL, Vancouver GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet radio this morning that they are still hoping he returns to North America at some point and “have not closed that door.”

The Canucks are a team on the rise now, and may be even more attractive to a player like Tryamkin in the 2020-21 season. By then, Chris Tanev, Michael Del Zotto and Alexander Edler will have already reached unrestricted free agency and may not be around, while the team should be very competitive in the Western Conference. The team does still have young defensemen Olli Juolevi and Quinn Hughes on the way, but there will still likely be room for the hulking Russian somewhere on the blue line. Tryamkin’s size and skating ability make him a unique type of player, one that could balance out what should be a very skilled defense corps in a few years.

Canucks Notes: Boeser, Archibald, Tryamkin

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The Vancouver Canucks have had their season turned upside down of late, with Brock Boeser injured for the rest of the year. The star rookie is out for at least four weeks with a small fracture in his lower back, which could cost him more than just the last month of the season.

Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that it is “highly unlikely” Boeser plays in the World Championships this year, though the Vancouver reporter wouldn’t rule it out entirely. Boeser would be one of the top options for the US squad, but might want to just heal completely before getting back on the ice. The tournament starts on May 4th, about eight weeks from the injury.

  • Dhaliwal also updates on the status of Darren Archibald, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Apparently the Canucks have not approached the gritty forward with extension talks so far, but his strong recent play has put him in a good position for any future negotiations. The 28-year old has never been given much of a chance at the NHL level, but now has five points in 12 games with the Canucks and doesn’t look completely out of place in this league.
  • Lastly, Dhaliwal also spoke with Alexei Volkov, the GM of Nikita Tryamkin’s KHL team. Tryamkin also likely won’t be heading to the World Championships, and definitely isn’t on his way back to Vancouver. Volkov—who obviously must be taken with a grain of salt since it’s in his interest to keep Tryamkin around—told Dhaliwal there is “zero chance” the hulking defender would be returning next season. Tryamkin has two years remaining on his KHL contract, but could negotiate a buyout to return to the NHL if both sides were open to it.

Five Russian Players Not Invited To Participate At Olympics

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has extended invitations to 42 of the 47 players submitted by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) for consideration for the upcoming Games. Interestingly though, the IOC did not invite the following players to participate:

D Anton Belov
D Alexei Bereglazov
D Mikhail Naumenkov
F Valeri Nichushkin
F Sergei Plotnikov

The RIHF released a statement following the decision, stating that the five players have not been banned from international competitions and are not guilty of any doping violations. Still, the reasons for the snub have not been given and the RIHF has reached out for some clarity.

These would seem to be fairly important omissions for Russia, especially on defense where the club is relatively thin. By looking at the remaining names that did receive invitations one can start to see how the team will be made up. 25 names that make up the roster will will be released on Thursday.

F Sergei Andronov
F Alexander Barabanov
F Anton Burdasov
D Vyacheslav Voynov
D Vladislav Gavrikov
F Nikita Gusev
F Mikhail Grigorenko
F Pavel Datsyuk
G Vasily Demchenko
D Artyom Zub
D Andrei Zubarev
F Sergey Kalinin
F Kirill Kaprizov
D Bogdan Kiselevich
F Ilya Kovalchuk
G Vasily Koshechkin
F Ilya Kablukov
F Evgeny Ketov
F Pavel Kraskovsky
F Yegor Korshkov
F Roman Lyubimov
D Ilya Lyubushkin
D Alexey Marchenko
F Sergei Mozyakin
D Nikita Nesterov
F Nikolai Prokhorkin
D Yegor Rykov
G Ilya Samsonov
F Andrei Svetlakov
G Ilya Sorokin
F Viktor Tikhonov
F Ivan Telegin
F Vladimir Tkachyov (unclear which one)
D Nikita Tryamkin
F Maxim Shalunov
G Alexander Sharychenkov
F Sergei Shirokov
F Vadim Shipachyov
F Sergei Shumakov
G Igor Shestyorkin
F Dinar Khafizullin
D Yegor Yakovlev

Conspicuously missing is Andrei Markov, who has had a very successful season for Ak-Bars in the KHL after leaving the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 28 points in 52 games. Why he was left off the preliminary list is unclear, though perhaps they wanted to go in a younger direction on defense.

Pacific Notes: Goldobin, Gaudreau, Pirri, Garrison

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The Vancouver Canucks haven’t had a whole lot of luck with some of their most recent overseas players as in the past six months as the team has lost Anton Rodin and Nikita Tryamkin, who each have decided to leave the NHL. However, that doesn’t look to be the case with Nikolay Goldobin, the former San Jose Sharks 2014 first-rounder, who currently sits in the AHL with the Utica Comets.

In fact, News 1130’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that he talked to Goldobin’s agent, Igor Larianov, who states that they are preaching patience and that Goldobin won’t bolt like Rodin and Tryamkin.

The 22-year-old winger has taken his game to a new level after several years of struggles that had him traded to Vancouver back in March. He has put up six goals and 11 assists in 16 games this year, but still hasn’t been recalled by Vancouver, who have instead chosen to bring up older players with more experience to fill in for injuries. Regardless, Larionov states he believes that Goldobin will be just fine.

  • Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun writes that count veterean Jaromir Jagr as a player who sees a bright future for Calgary Flames center Johnny Gaudreau. The 45-year-old veteran has been talking to him, trying to provide the 24-year-old star winger with the confidence he needs. Jagr, like many people, sees Gaudreau as a perennial contender for the Art Ross Trophy and has told him so. “It’s pretty special when someone says something like that to you. Because it’s not every day that someone as good as him says something about a player that has only been in the league four years,” said Gaudreau. He showed some of that potential in the 2015-16 season when he put up 30 goals and 48 assists in just his second full season. He then saw his numbers drop to just 18 goals and 61 points last year. He already has 10 goal so far this year.
  • Emily Polglaze of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the Vegas Golden Knights have two quality and potential call-ups, if needed, in winger Brandon Pirri and defenseman Jason Garrison, who are thriving with the AHL Chicago Wolves. Pirri, who has been in the AHL since the 2013-14 season, has taken off since returning from a month-long injury on Nov. 8. He has six points in his last seven games and five goals and five assists in 10 games this year. Garrison, who was put on waivers on Oct. 28 has fared well in the AHL also in his comeback bid. He had not made an appearance in the AHL since the 2009-10 season. He has a goal and two assists in eight games.

Snapshots: Sproul, Giroux, Tryamkin, Benson

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Detroit defenseman Ryan Sproul has been given the green light to return to the lineup and will make his preseason debut on Monday, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan.  Sproul underwent ACL surgery on April 18th, a procedure that typically requires six months to recover from so it appears his recovery process is a little bit ahead of schedule.  Had that not been the case, he was a potential candidate to land on LTIR to start the season.

Red Wings GM Ken Holland confirmed to Khan that the team plans to carry only seven defensemen to start the season so right now it appears that the 24-year-old is on the outside looking in at a roster spot despite playing in 27 games with Detroit in 2016-17.  Sproul will require waivers in order to be assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The Flyers will experiment with placing long-time center Claude Giroux on the left wing on Monday night, notes CSN Philly’s Jordan Hall. Giroux has spent time at that position earlier in his career but not very often lately.  The idea of switching positions might allow Giroux a bit less wear and tear on his body but would also allow someone like Sean Couturier – who has been more of a shutdown player so far in his career – to take on more of an offensive-oriented role.
  • Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin’s decision to leave the Canucks to go back to the KHL caught some by surprise. The blueliner told Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko (Twitter links) that a lack of playing time was a big factor in his decision to leave.  Tryamkin averaged 16:44 per night last season, the lowest of any regular blueliner in Vancouver.  He added that he could see himself back with the team but he won’t discuss that possibility while still under contract to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg; he’s signed there through the 2019-20 season.
  • Oilers prospect Tyler Benson will likely start the season on injured reserve but is expected to join his junior team (the WHL’s Vancouver Giants) on October 13th, notes Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. Benson, Edmonton’s second-round pick (32nd overall) in 2016, has yet to skate with the team in training camp and has not been cleared for any contact drills after undergoing double sports hernia surgery over the summer.

Snapshots: KHL, Surgeries, Bjork

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Several pieces of news out of the KHL today, including the signing of a three-year contract for Nikita Tryamkin with Yekaterinburg. The news that Tryamkin had left the Vancouver Canucks has been out for a while, but now we know how long the team will have to wait until they get a chance to bring him back to the NHL. The Canucks will hold his rights until 2021-22 season since they plan to qualify him this offseason, meaning that perhaps a reunion is possible after this three-year deal expires in 2020.

Viktor Antipin has officially terminated his deal, meaning he’s allowed to sign with the Buffalo Sabres (or anyone else) as soon as he wishes. Antipin’s teammate and former NHLer Alexander Semin will not be offered a new contract by Magnitogorsk, despite scoring 30 points this season. Semin could potentially return to the NHL should someone want to take a chance on the former 40-goal man, though at 33 his most effective years are likely behind him.

  • SKA St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow were involved in a trade, swapping the rights to Nail Yakupov and Nikita Kucherov for those of Marcus Johansson and David Musil. While Kucherov and Johansson are both under contract and thus unable to be wooed by the KHL, both Yakupov and Musil are restricted free agents this summer. They could theoretically leave for greener pastures, as neither have been able to make much of an impact at the NHL level recently (or ever, in Musil’s case).
  • The Minnesota Wild have announced that both Marco Scandella and Christian Folin have undergone surgery to repair hip and shoulder injuries respectively. Both are expected to be ready for training camp, though it obviously sets some of their offseason work back.
  • Joe Haggerty of CSNNE reports that NCAA prospect Anders Bjork has told the Bruins he’ll make a decision on turning pro after the World Championships. Bjork is currently playing with Team USA at the tournament, which starts on May 5th. The 20-year old fifth-round pick blew up at Notre Dame this year, and Boston has made it clear that they want him to turn pro this summer instead of returning for his senior season. If he were to return, he’d be just a few months away from free agency when he graduated with most of the league ready to put his name on a contract.

Pacific Notes: Tryamkin, Parsons, Kase

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The Vancouver Canucks released a statement on the departure of Nikita Tryamkin, who left for the KHL earlier today. The team apparently offered a two-year deal to the young defender, but couldn’t persuade him to stay in North America. The full statement:

We are disappointed that Nikita chose to sign in the KHL, but also recofnize from what he told us in our exit meetings that this was a family decision first. He has a chance to be an impact player in the NHL and we offered him a two-year extension. But for now he is home and we will move ahead with building this team with other young players.

It is indeed disappointing for the Canucks, who had come to appreciate Tryamkin’s physical style on the back end as a possible future shutdown defender. Instead, they’ll have to hope that other defenders like Olli Juolevi, Jordan Subban and Troy Stecher develop like they expect. The Canucks will also likely hold one of the top few picks in this year’s draft, where they could look to acquire another high-end defender.

  • The Calgary Flames may have been eliminated from the playoffs in part due to poor goaltending, but they have better days ahead in that position. The team announced today that Tyler Parsons will join Stockton for their playoff run after his London Knights were eliminated from the OHL postseason. As Darren Hynes of of Canadian Press points out, Parsons, Jon Gillies and David Rittich form a pretty promising young trio for the Flames. The problem is, none of them look ready to take over NHL duties next season.
  • Anaheim has reassigned Ondrej Kase to the San Diego Gulls after eliminating the Calgary Flames last night, though he may return for round two. The Gulls will start their series with back-to-back games Friday and Saturday before five days off before game three. The 21-year old Kase had 12 points in 14 games for the Gulls this season.

Philip Larsen Signs Two-Year Deal In KHL

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Just after the Vancouver Canucks learned that they’d lost Nikita Tryamkin to his old KHL club, the league announced that Philip Larsen has signed a two-year deal with Salavat Yulaev. Larsen was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, after playing just 26 games with the Canucks this season. He’ll be returning to the league in which he found so much success, scoring 36 points in 52 games during the 2015-16 season.

Larsen was acquired from the Oilers last spring, and signed a one-year deal with the Canucks hoping to become the powerplay quarterback he had been in Russia. Instead, tragedy struck when he was destroyed by a Taylor Hall hit behind the ice and had to leave the game on a stretcher. He would eventually return more than six weeks later, but played just a handful of games down the stretch for Vancouver.

Originally drafted in the fifth round by the Dallas Stars, Larsen has never been quite able to put together a full NHL season. His future always seemed to be overseas, either in the KHL or closer to his native Denmark. He spent his formative years playing in the Swedish Elite League, where he was first spotted by Dallas. While it’s not determined if he’ll ever return to the NHL, at 27 he’s found his niche in the KHL and could easily stay there. Unfortunately, Denmark will not participate in the 2018 Olympics in hockey, with their qualification stage being one of the toughest against both Slovenia—who eventually won the group and will play in Pyeongchang—Poland and Belarus.

Canucks’ Nikita Tryamkin Returning To KHL

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The KHL has claimed their first NHL victim, as Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Nikita Tryamkin has re-signed with his old KHL club for next season. After repeating their desire to bring back some of their homegrown talent, the KHL has succeeded by baiting Tryamkin back after just one full season with the Canucks. The 22-year old defender was a restricted free agent this summer, and looked like he could be a part of the Canucks’ blueline for a long time.

Drafted in the third round in 2014, Tryamkin was always a risk to return to the KHL as he had previously warned that he would leave North America should he not stay in the NHL all season. His contract even contained an out clause should the Canucks try to send him to the AHL, likely signaling a hesitation to dedicate himself fully to the North American game. It’s hard to blame the big defender, who will be returning to play for his hometown team in Yekaterinburg.

The 6’7″ defenseman was a surprisingly good addition to the Canucks blueline this year, dealing out big hits and moving around the ice with ease. While he obviously needed some polish to his game, he could have easily turned into a solid piece on the blueline. Vancouver will now go forward without him, though they will retain his rights and keep him on their reserve list should he ever wish to come back. It’s not clear how long the contract is for, but with his youth and relative success this year, a return is not out of the question.

Canucks Notes: Goldobin, Markstrom, Tryamkin

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The Vancouver Canucks will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to town tonight as they look to stay relevant in the playoff race. The team currently sits six points back of St. Louis and though it is a very outside possibility, they want to stay in it as long as possible. They’ll have to shake up their lineup tonight, as Loui Eriksson will be out for “a week to two weeks” according to Willie Desjardins. In his place, the newly acquired Nikolay Goldobin will get a chance to skate with Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi on the team’s second line. He’s excited about the prospect, and amazed at the amount of media talking to him prior to the game; “It wasn’t like this in San Jose!” he said before going on to say how happy he was to be in Vancouver.

  • The team also relayed the news that Jacob Markstrom is still “at least a week away”, but did skate before the practice by himself. Markstrom hasn’t played since February 16th but would be a big help to the Canucks down the stretch if he can get back. The 27-year old goaltender looks like he’ll get a shot at the starting job next year as Ryan Miller is a free agent this summer. Markstrom’s extension will come into play next year, which will see him paid $3.67MM per year for the next three seasons.
  • 22-year old Nikita Tryamkin has been a revelation for the Canucks this season, as he’s shown his capability to be a part of their defense going forward and showcased his big-hit ability early in the season. He has been out since February 19th though, and still isn’t quite ready to return. Despite skating earlier this morning with the team, he’ll miss his sixth straight game.

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