TORONTO -- The 2016 NHL Hall of Fame class is a fascinating one because it highlights the different paths players of that era took getting to the league. The most high-profile is Eric Lindros, whose arrival as the No. 1 overall pick in 1991 was hyped and built up as much as any in NHL history.
Then there was Sergei Makarov.
Makarov was the No. 231 overall pick by the Calgary Flames in 1983, selected in a round (No. 12) that no longer exists in an NHL draft.
“It was just a no-brainer,” said former Flames GM Cliff Fletcher, when we chatted about drafting Makarov. “Why not draft him? He’s one of the two or three greatest players in the world. Draft him. Leave him there. You never know: Someday we might be fortunate to get him.”
It took six years, but the Flames' gamble, as small as it was, paid off in a big way. Makarov, of course, came in and scored 54 goals in his first two seasons with the Flames.
Now those days are gone. Hall of Fame Russians aren’t being picked at the end of the draft, but it’s still possible that there’s value in selecting Russians.
There have been high-profile misses recently, like Nail Yakupov and Valeri Nichushkin, but the NHL leaderboard is sprinkled with Russian natives who have outproduced their spot in the draft.
Artem Anisimov was a second-round pick by the Rangers in 2006 and has become a key part of the Blackhawks' success this season, two teams later. Vladimir Tarasenko was the No. 16 overall pick in 2010, when current Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was running the Blues' drafts. He pointed out afterward that Tarasenko’s passport was the only reason he was available.
The best example might be Artemi Panarin, who wasn’t drafted. Teams now are perfectly willing to take a Russian player if he is a slam-dunk talent. But at 5-foot-11, Panarin was skilled but undersized, and it cost him a draft spot. Perhaps that’s where the opening remains: undersized players. Nikita Kucherov too, at 5-foot-11, would be picked considerably higher now than the No. 58 overall spot at which he was chosen in 2011.
There might not be Hall of Famers waiting late in the draft anymore, but there’s still opportunity for risk takers.
“For us, we asked, 'Is it better to get a kid playing Junior B who may play some year?'” Fletcher said. “Maybe you get someone who may be a star. I’m glad we did.”
Nine more takeaways from the weekend:
2. A leap of faith for Makarov, Larionov
To land Makarov, Fletcher made a trip to Russia with another member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2016. Fletcher and Pat Quinn, who was running the Canucks, both got word that the Russians were willing to let Makarov and Igor Larionov join the NHL, so the two traveled to Russia together to close the deals for their teams.
“We were together the whole time,” Fletcher said. “We didn’t know exactly what they were going to ask for. But the signal was there. They were available for us.”
Quinn’s efforts brought over a player who registered 143 points in 210 games for the Canucks.
3. Dynamic duo for San Jose
Larionov said it was Makarov’s move to San Jose that convinced him to play for the Sharks in 1993. He wasn’t convinced it was a good idea until the Sharks acquired his countryman.
“I said, ‘Okay, it’s time for me to go back.’ We played there a year and a half and changed the culture in San Jose,” Larionov said. “We made the playoffs. We beat Detroit and we formed a really good line with Johan Garpenlov. Mak was back to his glory days. He was so exciting to play with.”
4. Pryahkin the trailblazer
Fletcher believes that Russia was testing the waters the year before Makarov was allowed to join the Flames by sending Sergei Pryakhin to Calgary to play in 1989. Pryakhin was the first Soviet player allowed to play in the NHL.
“I got a call in February of 1989. There was a player on our list, Sergei Pryakhin, touring Ontario. They told us we could have him right then,” Fletcher said. “The poor guy had no clue, no clothes. We brought him in and he enjoyed the experience. What the Russians were just trying to gauge was what type of reception the players might get.”
5. How the NHL will use young stars for marketing
Part of Hall of Fame weekend is the annual PrimeTime Sports conference in Toronto, put on by Brian Burke. It always leads to interesting perspectives from executives and managers on the different panels.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was asked whether the NHL would approach the marketing of its newest stars like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews as they did Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin coming out of the lockout.
Daly said the league has learned since then that marketing the sport rather than individual players is more effective.
“You have to be responsive to the nature of the sport. Our sport is the ultimate team sport. The players who play it, play it as a team,” Daly said. “They are somewhat uncomfortable with individual spotlights. We learned that over time.”
6. Lessons learned from Ovi, Crosby strategy
So how has the NHL changed its approach since promoting Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin during their rookie seasons?
“We had the opportunity with Ovechkin and Crosby that the league hadn’t had in a long time,” Daly said. “There was definitely a marketing focus on those two. Since that time, we’re learning what drives fans' interest is the product. Our primary focus is and has to be the product on the ice. Individual stars and great players, they are part of teams. We’ve come to recognize that and feel that’s the best way to sell the sport, to sell the positive attributes of the sport.”
7. Big news in the desert
According to an NHL source, the Coyotes will have an announcement on Monday regarding a new arena deal. The strong bet is that it’s a deal that comes with a partnership with Arizona State University.
If it finally ends the debacle that was the arena in Glendale, it’s a big positive for the Coyotes.
When I asked about the news, Daly didn’t want to share too much but confirmed this would be a nice boost for that market.
“I’ll save their thunder, but I think it’s very exciting for that market,” Daly said. “They’ve had challenges in Glendale, and they’ve recently had relationship challenges with the people who run that arena. I think a different location and a better relationship can do wonders for that franchise, and I expect it will.”
8. Grabner a cap-friendly surprise for the Rangers
Has there been a better depth signing than Michael Grabner? He scored twice against the Oilers on Sunday for the Rangers, bringing his goal total to 10 in just 16 games. It’s his best total since scoring 12 in 2013-14.
Yes, he’s shooting 27.8 percent, so the shots are definitely finding the net at an elevated (and unsustainable) rate, but during a time when every team was looking for speed, GM Jeff Gorton did well in adding Grabner. He signed for two years, with a cap hit of $1.65 million per season. Gorton quietly had a stellar offseason.
9. Rask back to being Rask
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Tuukka Rask is the second goalie in Bruins history to win 10 of his first 11 appearances in a season, joining Gerry Cheevers. He’s been a remarkable story this season for Boston, with a league-high three shutouts and a .945 save percentage.
The most promising thing for the Bruins, sitting at No. 2 in the Atlantic Division, is that there’s nothing crazy in their advanced stats that suggests they can’t keep it going. Boston’s PDO is at 99.7. The Bruins are also controlling 54 percent of the even-strength shot attempts.
Rask struggled some last season, but one NHL team executive said this is the Rask other teams expect to see.
“I don’t see anything different [this season],” he said. “Over time, he’s a .925 [save percentage]. This is just a progression these guys go through.”
10. Environment matters in evaluating players
Brian Burke, during a draft panel at his conference, gave a glimpse into his draft approach when asked how much he weighs talent versus environment.
He said you have to weigh everything, but he definitely prefers a certain type of upbringing to help eliminate risk on draft day.
“The safest draft pick is a farm kid. ... They’ve all been zero-maintenance players,” Burke said. “The next group for zero maintenance is a Swede. He will never be an issue on your team.”