Nikita Gusev is worth a look

Nikita Gusev celebrates a goal against Germany during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Credit: Andrew Nelles

For many hockey fans, Nikita Gusev, until recently, was a relatively unknown name.

A former 7^th round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012, Gusev never signed with the team, detailing in an interview with Russian website Sport Express that they’re were conflicting ideas in regard to his role.

“They have a good team in Tampa.” Gusev said. “At some point they traded me away, because I was only an AHL player according to them and they didn’t want to see me there. And that I only deserve an AHL contract.”

Prior to the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft, on June 21^st, 2017, the Lightning traded Gusev to the team in exchange for them selecting Jason Garrison. Immediately, the name came back into the public eye, as GM George McPhee made it clear he had every intent to sign the Moscow native.

After winning the KHL scoring title this past year with 82 points in 62 games, Gusev signed a 1-year entry level deal with Vegas, joining them in the midst of their 1^st round playoff series with the San Jose Sharks. Despite this, he never wound up playing, as the Knights blew a 3-goal lead in game 7 of the series off of a controversial 5-minute major to Cody Eakin.

Now with Vegas out of cap room, McPhee has been forced to put Gusev on the block, garnering interest from multiple NHL teams, like the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens. With him reportedly asking for a 2-year deal with an annual value of 4 million, I think he’s well worth that, and worth many teams time.

Despite history having shown us that purely KHL players almost never work out in the NHL (remember Vadim Shipachyov?) I think Gusev could be an exception to that rule. While posting impressive numbers, Shipachyov didn’t quite understand the Vegas Golden Knights situation roster wise, refusing to report to the AHL, even though the team only did it because he was waiver exempt.

Others, like failed Islanders project Jan Kovar, simply didn’t have impressive numbers on paper, barely going being over point per game. 

Jan Kovar with the New York Islanders in preseason. Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

While there is obviously more to a player than stats, with a league as mysterious as the KHL, it’s the first thing that jumps out to you. In comparison, Gusev’s numbers are really impressive, and he’s shown in tournaments like the Olympics and World Championships that he can not only keep up with NHL talent, but at times outperform them.

In many ways, Gusev is the modern-day equivalent to Sergei Mozyakin. For those of you who don’t know who that is, Mozyakin is the all-time points leader in the KHL, having spent his entire career in the league aside from a 4-game stint with the Val d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL. At 38 years old, Mozyakin is still performing at a point per game pace, but its only a matter of time before he starts slowing down. At 26 years old, Gusev could give a glimpse into what could have been with Mozyakin in the NHL, as they are very similar in their playstyles.

Sergei Mozyakin defends the puck against Germany in the 2016 IIHF World Championships. Credit: Anna Sergeeva/Getty Images Europe

With soft hands and a quick shot, Gusev has shown to be very good with the puck, as evidenced by the clip down below.

A quick thinker, he can be patient in his own zone when say, on the power play. He controls breakouts well, and can bring out the best in his linemates. While he was previously benefiting from this himself, playing alongside guys like Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, this past year, 25 year old forward Alexander Barabanov from a 20 point player to a 50 point player with SKA St. Petersburg.

He’s a good fit for a multitude of organizations, but I personally think he’d be best with a young developing team without much depth. If sandwiched in the bottom six of a stacked team, like the St Louis Blues or Lightning, he won’t be able to showcase his offensive abilities as well as with a lesser team, like the Canadiens or Devils. 

It’ll be a fairly intriguing story to follow either way, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Gusev fares in the NHL. Whether it be like Alexander Radulov or Valerie Nicushkin though, remains to be seen. He’s got the offensive abilities, and has shown that he can keep up with NHL talent, but of course, that’s not everything.

The longer schedule, smaller ice, and tougher players are all factors, but that remains to be seen. Either way, as new a face as Gusev is, it’ll be interesting to see how this Russian sniper fares in the NHL.

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