Mobile defender with emerging defensive abilities and good up ice instincts. Good soft hands. His long term potential was on a huge upswing until he decided after the Five Nations Tourney, to return home to mother Russia without warning to his Indy teammates and staff. He is being reported as out indefinitely "due to injury", and that injury might have be North American culture overdose. He wasn't attempting to learn English and it also caused issue to him being coachable. You have to wonder if this player who at one point potential first rounder has dropped his stock completely out of the draft, but now has resurfaced on the Kootenay squad with new commitment.
--Bill Placzek--
