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BostonAJ
They fucking won?
This is a little long, but if you like disaster stories...
For those not in the know, Kabanov was considered an elite prospect, projecting to go in the top 5 of this year's draft, possibly even 1st overall. Kabanov is Russian but decided to play this year in the CHL to prove his commitment to playing in North America, even tho it meant his being barred from the KHL for three years. World class talent. The occasional Kovalchuk and Ovechkin comparisons were bandied about. The next Russian star.
That was before this season.
He started the year with a bad wrist injury which kept him out of the lineup until February. During this time he failed to show up at some of the team meetings and club functions. When he rejoined the team, his team mates regarded him with little esteem, later calling him a cancer in the locker room. He missed the team bus a couple of times. The fit hit the shan shortly before the playoffs when on a particularly lazy game from Kabanov the team captain quite visibly ripped him a new one on the bench. Kabanov did not see the ice for the rest of the second period and did not come out with the team for the third. Later it was announced that Kabanov would not be playing for the Moncton Wildcats for the rest of the season.
So he returned to Russia to play in the U-18's. There, he would become the center of controversy after being rejected by the Russian squad for disciplinary reasons. "I removed him from the team because we thought Kabanov would help us, but he brought only confusion to the team," Vasiliev told Sovietsky Sport. "Kabanov came and thought 'Here I am, a star from Canada, who will save all.' But it's the team that wins rather than an individual player."
Kabanov's agent has been his father, who is regarded quite deservedly as another Carl Lindros. Kabanov Sr.'s dealings with his son's teams and the media have left much to be desired and he has clearly not managed his son's career very well. Recently they hired J.P. Barry, arguably the most respected agent in the hockey world, to clean up Kirill's image. Barry was helping get Kabanov back into hockey's good graces until today, three weeks before the draft, when Barry announced he was dropping Kabanov as a client.
Also, where Kabanov will play next year is most uncertain, as his CHL participation locks him out of the AHL and KHL, and while Moncton retains his rights in juniors, they are not eager to welcome him back into the fold.
So if your team is interested in rolling the dice on a potential star player or a potential career headache, draft Kirill Kabanov in the second round. I really don't see anyone risking it in the first, no matter how much talent he has.
For those not in the know, Kabanov was considered an elite prospect, projecting to go in the top 5 of this year's draft, possibly even 1st overall. Kabanov is Russian but decided to play this year in the CHL to prove his commitment to playing in North America, even tho it meant his being barred from the KHL for three years. World class talent. The occasional Kovalchuk and Ovechkin comparisons were bandied about. The next Russian star.
That was before this season.
He started the year with a bad wrist injury which kept him out of the lineup until February. During this time he failed to show up at some of the team meetings and club functions. When he rejoined the team, his team mates regarded him with little esteem, later calling him a cancer in the locker room. He missed the team bus a couple of times. The fit hit the shan shortly before the playoffs when on a particularly lazy game from Kabanov the team captain quite visibly ripped him a new one on the bench. Kabanov did not see the ice for the rest of the second period and did not come out with the team for the third. Later it was announced that Kabanov would not be playing for the Moncton Wildcats for the rest of the season.
So he returned to Russia to play in the U-18's. There, he would become the center of controversy after being rejected by the Russian squad for disciplinary reasons. "I removed him from the team because we thought Kabanov would help us, but he brought only confusion to the team," Vasiliev told Sovietsky Sport. "Kabanov came and thought 'Here I am, a star from Canada, who will save all.' But it's the team that wins rather than an individual player."
Kabanov's agent has been his father, who is regarded quite deservedly as another Carl Lindros. Kabanov Sr.'s dealings with his son's teams and the media have left much to be desired and he has clearly not managed his son's career very well. Recently they hired J.P. Barry, arguably the most respected agent in the hockey world, to clean up Kirill's image. Barry was helping get Kabanov back into hockey's good graces until today, three weeks before the draft, when Barry announced he was dropping Kabanov as a client.
Also, where Kabanov will play next year is most uncertain, as his CHL participation locks him out of the AHL and KHL, and while Moncton retains his rights in juniors, they are not eager to welcome him back into the fold.
So if your team is interested in rolling the dice on a potential star player or a potential career headache, draft Kirill Kabanov in the second round. I really don't see anyone risking it in the first, no matter how much talent he has.
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