Russia’s Svechnikov fighting for roster spot, high draft position
If there’s a label that’s hanging around Andrei Svechnikov’s name these days, it’s “projected #2 pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft”.
But as we’ve seen in the past — as recently as last season — consensus top rankings and mock drafts are just that: projections.
Playing this year as a rookie with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts, Svechnikov’s fighting for both his draft stock, and, more imminently, a spot on the Russian World Junior hockey team. This season, he’s amassed 14 goals in just OHL 16 games, in addition to seven assists.
In an interview with EliteProspects, Colts general manager Jason Ford discussed how Svechnikov’s stats this season might be misleading into thinking he’s simply a one-dimensional player.
“You might look at his goals-to-assists ratio and think he’s just a scorer, but he’s a heck of a playmaker too,” Ford said. “He sees the ice really well.”
Ford pointed to Svechnikov’s first year in North America – a 29-goal, 29-assist performance in 48 games with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks during 2016-17 where he turned 17 with just two games remaining in the regular season, as an example of his balanced offensive game. Finishing sixth in league scoring, he was awarded USHL Rookie of the Year.
However, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Svechnikov suffered a setback in mid-October of this year, falling victim to a wrist injury that required surgery and for him to miss nearly two months of the schedule.
Ford said while the injury was unfortunate, Svechnikov’s spirit didn’t waver as he fought back to return to game action on December 8th, heading to the Russian camp just over a week later.
In his fourth game back last Thursday, Svechnikov scored the game’s second goal in the first period and then broke a 4-4 tie in the third period en route to a victory over Owen Sound. He later added on an empty netter, for his second hat-trick of the season.
When Barrie was awarded the top pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft, Svechnikov was a player that caught the immediate attention of Ford and his staff. Ford’s memory returned to when he saw him at the 2016 World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the only 2000-born player on Russia’s roster.
“He’d been on the radar for a few years… he wasn’t a player you’d need to watch ten times to see how good he was,” Ford said.
The biggest question mark for the Colts was not of Svechnikov’s ability, but rather of his longevity in junior hockey, as he has the potential to be in the NHL as early as next season. Ultimately, Ford and the Colts decided the gamble of Svechnikov immediate talent over another player would be the best value for the organization.
“If you look for [an import] that’s going to be sticking around for two or three years, the bottom line is you’re going to be getting a lesser player,” he said.
Looking for their first OHL title since 2000, Barrie’s accumulated a 20-10-2-1 record, good enough for second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the entire league. With the Colts trading last week for 20-year old forward and Windsor Spitfires captain Aaron Luchuk, who had amassed 51 points in 30 games prior being acquired by Barrie, as well as fellow Russian rookie Alexei Lipanov, it’s been a trio of newcomers leading the way for a team who finished last overall in the league standings last year.
The youngest player on the roster at the Russian World Junior camp, Svechnikov’s battle is an uphill one to both a) make the roster and b) play meaningful minutes.
Ford added it isn’t uncommon for younger players to earn bigger roles as the tournament goes along, believing that Svechnikov has the talent to make an impact on the international stage if given the opportunity.
“He’s a high-end player in this league,” Ford said. “From what I’ve heard, he’s very well-liked at every level he’s been at with the Russian National Program.”
An added comfort has been having his mother Elena living in North America, splitting her time seeing Andrei and his brother Yevgeni, a 2015 first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings who’s currently playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, he’s been taking weekly English lessons in order to continue building up his language base.
With a clean bill of health, (and hopefully a positive World Junior experience to look back on), Ford believes that Svechnikov’s poised to make a splash in the coming months.
“The second half of the season, you’ll get an even better player than the first one.”