Danila Yurov and Metallurg Magnitogorsk advance to the KHL finals. Playing in the Gagarin Cup is different than playing in Stanley's Cup because the NHL is a much higher level of hockey. Who was the last Russian candidate to compete in and win the Gagarin Cup?
Kirill Kaprizov played for CSKA Moscow in the 2018-19 season.
Kaprizov lived up to the hype. However, Yurov is showing signs of becoming as good or better a goalscorer than Kaprizov. Yurov shows potential to be the NHL's 2022 Draft stealer.
Yurov would be a perfect fit next to Marco Rossi. Coach Bill Guerin shouldn't move Rossi in the offseason, but he's reportedly considering moving on from his rookie center. However, Rossi can play behind Joel Eriksson Ek, who has developed into the team's top center.
Why can't Rossi take the opportunity to learn from Eriksson Ek? He represents Guerin's “grit first” identity, but executes it with skill. Rossi has a life-threatening heart condition that has delayed his growth by a year. However, he played a full season and showed that he had fully recovered. Now he's had a full year. What if his second season begins with future Russian superstar Yurov?
Kaprizov led the KHL in 2018-19 by playing in 57 regular season games and scoring 11 game-winning goals with 17 minutes and 15 seconds of time on ice (TOI). Yurov played in 62 regular season games and scored seven game-winning goals, tied for second this year with a TOI of 15:12. Imagine if Yurov played up to 17 minutes a night. Kaprizov became the most clutch player in the KHL, and Yurov proved to be Metallurg's best player.
Yurov's clutch goals led to a spot in this year's playoffs. Although he hasn't done much in the playoffs, he outperformed Kaprizov in the Gargain Cup season with less ice time. In 19 playoff games for CSKA, Kaprizov scored 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 17 minutes, 43 seconds of time on the ice (TOI). In Metallurg's 19 playoff games, Yurov scored 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 14 minutes, 42 seconds of TOI. Kaprizov's assists were tied for fifth in the playoffs. Yurov's goals tied for third in the KHL playoffs. Yurov's nine points tied him for sixth in the playoffs, while Kaprizov's 14 points tied him for sixth.
Yurov, 20, is two years younger than Kaprizov, 22. Still, he has scored more goals than Kaprizov did in the KHL and has been mostly productive with a lower TOI. Kaprizov is a former fifth-round pick, but the Wild drafted Yurov in the first round. That may explain why Yurov achieved as much as Kaprizov at a young age. Despite the age difference, Yurov has gained more experience and has played in 163 games in the KHL, showing his best first-round value.
Regardless of what happens in the Gergen Cup final, Yurov has momentum heading into the offseason. Guerin needs to bring Yurov to North America because Rossi deserves Yurov. What would happen if Riley Hite joined the team? Rossi now has a winger to support him. Yurov's maturation will help him adapt to the NHL and provide clutch games rather than becoming a points-per-game player right away.
Yurov is scratching the surface of his potential to be a point-per-game producer in the future, but we shouldn't expect him to make that kind of impact unless he becomes Kaprizov 2.0. By playing with Yurov, Rossi should be able to improve his assist total since he won't be playing with non-goal scorers Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson.
The Wild should not trade Rossi because they lack a goal-scoring winger. Rossi scored 40 points (19 assists) in 81 games. What if the Wild had another goal-scoring wing? He would definitely score 60 points. Yurov is so skilled that Rossi can set him up creatively.
Matt Boldy, Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov are a dynamic first line, but they don't have a true second line. Rossi is the foundation of the second line. If the Wild are concerned about Rossi's size (5-foot-9), he can't have Mats Zuccarello (5-foot-8) play alongside Rossi. Pairing Zuccarello with Marat Husnutdinov (5-foot-11, 176 pounds) doesn't solve that problem. If anything, the Wild should keep Liam Ogren along with Zuccarello to create a new scoring line. Zuccarello will move Husnutdinov to the fourth line along with Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman.
Yurov seems like a game-changing player. Winning the Gergen Cup will be a major achievement for Yurov that will give him momentum into the 2024-25 season. With the rise of scoring wingers like Yurov and Hight, Guerin should think twice about trading Rossi. Yurov has a bright future in Minnesota, and Kaprizov will be a free agent after the 2025-26 season and will need to be convinced to come to the Wild. The Wild can't afford to miss the playoffs again during Kaprizov's prime. Yurov will help Minnesota get through the hump.
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