Canucks' Russian players aren't going back to Russia this summer
The Vancouver Canucks’ trio of Russian players won’t be going home this summer, at least as far as GM Patrik Allvin knows.
Speaking with reporters at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, Allvin said while the team didn’t instruct its Russian players not to go home, they have been in contact with them, and it appears geopolitical factors due to Russia’s war in Ukraine are affecting their offseason plans.
The Canucks have three Russians on their roster: Andrei Kuzmenko, Vasily Podkolzin, and Ilya Mikheyev.
“We did not give them any advice, we followed the National Hockey League’s guidance. We’re communicating and supported what they want to do,” Allvin told reporters. “I believe that our guys did not go back to Russia. Some of them are meeting their families outside Russia.”
Kuzmenko, who is by far the most active of the three on social media, recently posted a photo with friends in Tbilisi, the capital city of the former Soviet country of Georgia — just a three-hour drive to the Russian border. The trip to Georgia was just one stop on Kuzmenko’s worldwide tour this offseason. He has already been to South America, Dubai, and Bali.
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Podkolzin, meanwhile, was recently spotted skating at 8-Rinks in Burnaby. He and his wife are expecting the birth of their first child, they announced in April.
Mikheyev isn’t very active on social media, but his wife has been posting photos from Florida.
“Russian factor” at the draft
Picking Russian players in next week’s draft will come with added risk, given the limited viewings NHL scouts have had with players from that country. Russia has been banned from all IIHF competitions, and travel to the country is considered high risk by the Canadian government.
“It’s been a challenge for our scouting staff to get live viewings of those players playing in Russia,” Allvin said. “It definitely makes it a little bit more of a challenge. Our scouting staff have done what’s needed to be done in this particular case and watched a lot of videos. I think they have a comfort level to put the players where they should belong on the list. We’ll see if any of them will be available or not where we’re going to pick.”
Matvei Michkov is the top-rated Russian player in this year’s draft, but it would be a surprise if the star forward is available when the Canucks pick at No. 11. The Canucks might have a decision to make on Dmitri Simashev though. The 6-foot-4 Russian, who prospect expert Daniel Gee recently profiled for Daily Hive, is one of the top-rated defencemen available.