25 replies to this topic

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Stats:
Age: 22 (Born June 24, 1988)
Position: D
Country of Origin: Russia
Drafted: 2006 2nd Round (37th overall)
Height: 6 ft 1 in
Weight: 181 lb
Shoots: Left

Alexandrov Signs 2 Year Deal with B's

From above link:

Alexandrov was the team's second selection (37th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and has been playing in Russia's highest pro league (now known as the Kontinental Hockey League or KHL) since age 17, so he comes to North America with a wealth of AHL-comparable experience. Don't be surprised if he makes the Boston roster right away because he's not your typical rookie who is coming out of junior. If he does spend time in Providence, it will be because he may need to bulk up/improve his strength. When he was drafted, I was taken aback at how rail thin Alexandrov was. He looked like he'd put on a little more weight from the photos I saw of him at development camp last July, but he's still slight and will probably always have a lanky build that is tougher for him to keep mass on (especially during the season)...

We still have a ways to go before we see if Alexandrov has what it takes to thrive in the NHL outside of his very good skill level and potential as a two-way blue liner. But, he's done well in Russia with leadership roles for various teams and has performed at a high level against men now since before he was even drafted. As long as there are no surprises from his perspective in terms of where he fits in or what is expected of him, he could provide a nice boost and upgrade to Boston's defense corps in 10-11, and if not in Boston certainly in Providence.

KHL Career Stats

	Regular Season								Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	Severstal	Cherepovets	RSL	37	1	1	2	18	2	0	0	0	2
2006–07	Severstal	Cherepovets	RSL	45	1	1	2	38	5	0	0	0	8
2007–08	Severstal	Cherepovets	RSL	45	5	5	10	32	8	0	0	0	8
2008–09	Severstal	Cherepovets	KHL	26	3	5	8	40	—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Severstal	Cherepovets	KHL	56	6	15	21	56	—	—	—	—	—
Russian	Superleague	totals	127	7	7	14	68	15	0	0	0	18
Kontinental	Hockey	League	totals	82	9	20	29	96	—	—	—	—	—

Edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle, 11 October 2010 - 06:35 PM.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Kirk Luedeke's Prospect Evaluation

“Obviously, there’s a language barrier there and [there's] cultural differences. Once he’s on the ice, he feels most comfortable and that’s a good thing. But there’ll be systematic things and nuances he’ll have to figure out. We’ve tried to attack that communication and tried to get better at it because there is a gap there. And the onus falls on him a little bit to understand that and immerse himself in that.”- Bruins Assistant GM Don Sweeney on Alexandrov, Wilmington, Mass.; July 10, 2010

“You can tell when the game starts, his positional play, his understanding and his stick positioning is very, very good,” Sweeney said. “You can tell that’s been taught and built into his game. When you play against bigger and stronger players, you have to develop those techniques and he’s done that."- Bruins Assistant GM Don Sweeney on Alexandrov, Wilmington, Mass.; July 10, 2010

“To be honest with you, and something we’re communicating with him, I didn’t think he was in quite as good a shape as he was the year before so that’s got to be something he’ll have to attack and address between now and September to realize that he continues to push forward. I would tell all the kids that. I’m not going to single him out for any particular reason, except that the facts are what they are.”- Don Sweeney, July 10, 2010

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Camp begins and Alexandrov has failed the conditioning test (link)

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said after the double-sessions that a handful of rookies failed the conditioning test, and that a few players – notably Russian defenseman Yuri Alexandrov – still have some work to do in terms of physical conditioning.

"We tightened up a few things on the run test so we had a few guys that failed it," said Chiarelli. "But it was nothing too disconcerting."

[The Four Peters]

I don't know, to me it is disconcerting that he was specifically told multiple times to improve his conditioning, and still hasn't made strides there. No matter how smart and positionally sound he is, if he can't pass the basic conditioning tests, he's not going to do anything for this team.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Yeah, Chia's line sounds a bit like spin. Then again, we don't really know by how much he failed the test by. The "notably Yuri Alexandrov" line could either be a reference to the fact that he was warned previously, or just that the was the biggest name to fail the test or both.

Edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle, 13 September 2010 - 12:24 PM.

[PedroSpecialK]

If he failed in anything, it's in strength tests - he's been logging good ice time on a decent KHL team for a few years now, and he still looks like a string bean. The muscle will either come with age or not at all - and that's what will likely make or break him.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Certainly a reasonable guess, PSK. He's half a foot taller than me and weighs only 20 lbs. more.

Fluto's write-up.:

This sounds like absolute heresy, but there are some comparables between Yury Alexandrov and Nicklas Lidstrom. Alexandrov isn't big and isn't the most natural skater (Chiarelli said while he's improving, he's not in the shape he should be in). But Alexandrov has an excellent stick, positions himself well, and thinks the game clearly.

edit: Ahahah what moron misspelled prospect in the thread title! Oh, wait...

Edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle, 13 September 2010 - 03:05 PM.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

My thoughts on his performance in the rookie game on 9/15:

Alexandrov looked very advanced on the ice at times, then like crap at times (tripping penalty, second goal). Maybe his conditioning caught up to him. His positioning and awareness are pretty good - he made a number of plays on the offensive end to keep the puck in that were clearly a result of being a step or two ahead of the play. He's definitely not a real physical player, passed up a couple of opportunities to take the body in favor of poke checks.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Another up and down game for Alexandrov tonight against FLA. He made some very smart plays: pinching in to keep the puck in the offensive zone, jumping into the play a few times (though he fanned on a shot on his best opportunity), stripping a FLA player of the puck during a long cycle by patiently waiting until he was occupied with another Bruins' player and then picking his pocket, but he also made some really bad plays: a turnover in the 1st that led to a B's penalty and getting beat to an icing after being well ahead of the closest FLA player were the big ones. He clearly needs more adjustment time to get used to the NHL game and to get in shape.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Sent Down to P-Bruins

Pretty much what was expected- he's clearly not in the kind of condition needed to play in the NHL and hasn't shown enough in exhibition either.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Through 2 AHL games Alexandrov is 0 1 1 and -2.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Springfield Republican

Providence center Zach Hamill’s offensive zone faceoff win setup the Bruins with the first goal of the night. Yury Alexandrov unleashed a shot from beyond the circles, creating a juicy rebound that Maxime Sauve was in position to tip past Springfield’s Daren Machesney at 2:52.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Through 5 games Alexandrov is 1 1 2 with a -2 +/-.

[The Four Peters]

I was at the Providence B's game Sunday and Alexandrov looked terrible. He was on the second D pair with Bodnarchuk, and was noticeably bad. He was constantly turning the puck over and losing it in his skates, even doing it once behind his own net with no pressure on him, prompting a comment that he was "forechecking himself". It was all of the bad mistakes from the preseason, but none of the heads up plays. It was only one game, but it was pretty disappointing.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Through 6 games, Alexandrov is at 1 1 and 2 with a +/- of 0.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Through 12 games, Alexandrov now sports a 2 4 and 6 line with a +/- of 1. He is fifth on the team in overall scoring, second among defensemen to Kampfer.

Edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle, 10 November 2010 - 01:33 PM.

[TheRealness]

I should be at the Manchester-Providence game this weekend, and Yuri is probably the 2nd guy I'm most interested in watching after Colborne. It's good to see that his offensive game has picked up (4 pts in last 6 games), and his defensive game hasn't suffered.

Once Yuri adjusts to the North American game, I believe he has the instincts and talent to be a top 4 defenseman in today's NHL. We'll see, but this certainly is a much better showing than what he demonstrated in camp and the first part of the AHL season and makes me believe I'm not that crazy.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

So,what did you think,Realness?

I know what Assistant Coach Cassidy thinks.

Alexandrov is now 4 4 and 8 through 16 at a plus 1.

[TheRealness]

So,what did you think,Realness?

I know what Assistant Coach Cassidy thinks.

Alexandrov is now 4 4 and 8 through 16 at a plus 1.

I never got to go to the game, although I did see the story in the paper in the morning. Alexandrov scored one in that game.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Now at 4 6 and 10 through 28 with a -6.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

5 7 and 12 through 32 with a -4.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

5 9 and 14 through 45 with a -3.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

62 games, 5 12 and 17. -6.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Alexandrov finished the season with 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 66 games at a -6.

Kirk Luedeke's summary of his season:

Summary

This was a tough year for the Russian who came into the season with high expectations and showed flashes of the natural puck moving ability and offensive instincts. Too often, however, he was a defensive liability and was overmatched physically on the smaller North American ice surfaces. To his credit, he didn’t give up and worked all season. He should make a considerable jump next season, and could see some NHL time depending on how things go with injuries. However, Alexandrov must show up to camp in better shape and address his overall strength and conditioning.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Per PSK's thread on the main hockey board, Alexandrov has returned to Russia.

Chesnokov's jsinger

[PedroSpecialK]

Alexandrov's been traded to the Islanders for future considerations, per Newsday

@StapeNewsday Arthur Staple
#Isles acquire D Yuri Alexandrov from Bruins for future considerations. Alexandrov, 23, was a 2006 2nd-rd pick now playing in KHL.

Alexandrov was set to be an RFA this offseason

Edited by PedroSpecialK, 20 March 2012 - 04:07 PM.