Russian Hockey NHL Prospects | 2004-05 Season Scouting Review: Dmitri Vorobiev (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Evgeny Gladskykh (Vancouver Canucks) (01/24/2006) (RussianProspects.com - Best Source for Russian Hockey News and Features of NHL players and prospects)

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Author: Eugene Belashchenko (RussianProspects.com)

Date: 01/24/2006

2004-05 Season Scouting Review: Dmitri Vorobiev (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Evgeny Gladskykh (Vancouver Canucks)

2005 Russian Super League

Dmitri Vorobiev skating for Lada Togliatti (photo courtesy of Lada's Media Department)

DMITRI VOROBIEV (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Dmitri Vorobiev stepped up big time during the 2004-05 season, establishing himself as Lada (Togliatti)'s top four defenseman. Despite fulfilling a U20 requirement for Lada during 2004-05, his ice time did not by any means depend on his age. He stood out with his mobility and aggressive, style of play, clearly enjoying the physical aspect of the game. Despite his primarily defensive role with Lada, Vorobiev clearly possesses an offensive upside, which was especially apparent at the U20 WJC, where he frequently jumped up into the offensive zone with the puck. Now with two complete RSL seasons under his belt, Vorobiev will likely skate on Lada's top pairing during the 2005-06 season.

NHL Outlook: Toronto made an absolute steal by drafting this young defenseman in the 5th round. After Lyamin, Vorobiev was the best Russian blue liner available in the draft and his fall to the fifth round was shocking. With his quick thinking and high tempo, physical style of play, Vorobiev should have no problem adjusting to North American hockey. Still, the NHL club's management should not ruin the good thing the young defenseman created for himself in Togliatti, and allow the young prospect to continue his development under the tutelage of Lada's defensively minded head coach Petr Vorobiev (no relation).

EVGENY GLADSKYKH (Vancouver Canucks)
After years of being on the verge of success, Evgeny Gladskykh finally put together a break out season during 2004-05. The young forward had great chemistry with Alexei Kaigorodov, with whom he has been skating on and off for more than four seasons. This season it was different, as Gladskykh lead Metallurg in scoring in the first few months, and most of his goals came off Kaigorodov's blade, who lead the league in the assists for most of the season. The Vancouver Canucks prospect's achievements with Metallurg did not go unnoticed by the head coach of the national team, who invited him to join the squad at the ROSNO EuroTour tournament in December. Gladkykh again skated with Kaigorodov on the national team and the two continued to create a lot of good scoring chances together. Sadly, neither Gladkykh nor Kaigorodov were able to skate on the national team due to various injuries. Gladskykh suffered a leg injury earlier in the year that sidelined him for more than a month and he wasn't able to regain his old form in tme for the playoffs and the World Championships.

NHL Outlook: Evgeny Gladkykh created a positive situation for himself in Magnitogorsk. He enjoyed a successful season and enjoyed the trust of the coaching staff, which lead to significant minutes on the ice. Considering club's disappointing playoff performance when he wasn't 100%, Gladskykh will likely continue to play an important part in Metallurg's offense during the 2005-06 season. A lot of Gladkykh's development and success will depend on Kaigorodov's plans for next season, since the latter young forward may decide to sign with the Ottawa Senators. While there is no doubt that Gladskykh will adapt to the absence of his long time linemate, it will take some time and he may deliver a mediocre season in the process, which would reduce his leverage with the Canucks. Considering the Kaigorodov factor, it may be worth while for the young forward to investigate Vancouver's interest this summer, as his development is at the right point for a transition to North America.

Written By: Eugene Belashchenko (RussianProspects.com)

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