Depending on the source, site, or amount of time since his last meal, Vladimir Tkachev is anywhere from 5-foot-6, 140 pounds to 5-foot-8, 165 pounds. More jockey-sized than hockey-sized, by NHL standards he's the strange little pocket-within-a-pocket you find on a pair of Levi's--initially intriguing, but ultimately useless. NHL squads must feel the same way, because Tkachev was passed over in the 2014 NHL Draft despite mustering 1.33 points per game during a second-half stint with the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats. In the 2008 film Hustle & Flow, actor Terrence Howard laments that it's "hard out here for a pimp." In the world of NHL prospects, Tkachev offers proof that it's hard out there for a shrimp.
But regardless of Tkachev's stature specifics--smurfish or slight, pixie or petite--the 18-year-old Russian winger received an invitation to the Edmonton Oilers' training camp during the offseason. He was also invited to participate in this weekend's Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, British Columbia, suiting up alongside players with much longer limbs and greater expectations. Edmonton opened its tournament with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. While several Oilers performed well, Tkachev shone brighter than any of the marquee names with confident stickhandling, eagerness to dictate play, and unrivaled effort at both ends of the ice. For the first time I can ever recall, the best Oiler on the ice was an undrafted Russian training camp invitee.
The Young Stars Tournament has always been more of a safe haven than anything else, giving prospects a chance to splash around together in the kiddie pool before training camps begin. However, Tkachev might feel a greater sense of urgency than those who find themselves comfortably entrenched in prospect pools and development systems, because while others were coasting he was clearly auditioning. Tkachev dished the puck off to Bogdan Yakimov for the Oilers' second goal, and produced the play of the night with a cross-crease pass to Martin Gernat to put Edmonton ahead 3-2. He also showed some strong defensive awareness, rushing back into his own zone to negate odd-man rushes on two occasions. In short, I had more confidence when the puck was on Tkachev's stick than any other Oiler.
Moving forward, Tkachev faces the same vertical ascent as Oilers center Mark Arcobello. He has to consistently provide an effort that puts his teammates to shame, prove that he can take a physical pounding without wilting, produce at a level that will justify his presence with the club, and win over several hearts and minds that are programmed to deny him the benefit of the doubt. Oh, and he can't complain one iota if he does all those things and then still finds himself skating alongside guys named Butch and Stu on the third line in Bakersfield. Nobody can tell what the future holds for Tkachev. He could make the team as a low-risk home run (a la Arcobello), he could linger as disappointingly as a vegan fart (a la Anton Lander), or he could be gone in 12 days (a la Tyler Bunz). Whatever the future holds, at least the pint-sized forward made a king-sized first impression.
Oil Spills
- All the gushing over Tkachev takes some of the spotlight away from the game's hero, Mitch Moroz, who scored two goals including the overtime winner. Moroz showed excellent poise on each goal, controlling the puck around the net rather than merely slapping at it. I'm very curious to see what he can accomplish in his first season of professional hockey, because the Oilers need big bodies who can establish a presence in front of the net. Would have liked to see more physicality from the 32nd overall pick in 2012, but Moroz could make a strong case for some long looks in training camp.
- Leon Draisaitl was the main attraction in his first game since being drafted third overall in June. Overall, it was a decent effort by the highly-touted center, who showed an ability to handle and distribute the puck both facing the play and with his back to it. He looks to be a pass-first perimeter player who alters speeds well depending on the situation, but didn't create a whole lot and missed an open net on a perfect feed by Darnell Nurse. My fear is that we all see him as being NHL-ready simply because the process of elimination tells us he's already guaranteed a roster spot with the Oilers.
- Speaking of Nurse, he showed some decent skating ability and joined the rush well a few times, but there was something off about him. You could almost see the thought process on occasion, when Nurse would have a forward lined up along the boards and think to himself "this would be a good time to rub this guy out" then go overboard trying to make a physical statement while completely ignoring the puck. I can appreciate the effort, but I'd prefer him to play close to the edge at all times, rather than his approach ranging from passive to ultra-aggressive.
- Other players who impressed include Greg Chase, Marco Roy and David Musil. All three brought physicality and tracked the puck effectively, producing turnovers and scoring chances. On the less-than-impressive side, Gernat was shaky in the defensive zone at times and redeemed himself with the third-period goal. Jujhar Khaira didn't have a positive impact or use his size effectively, and Jordan Oesterle looked overmatched a couple times in his own zone.
- The Oilers suit up against the Flames tonight at 8:30 p.m. MT in the first installment (kinda) of the Battle of Alberta. Sure the two franchise have sucked like Hoovers for the last 10 years, but the Flames are still the Oilers' chief rival and a win over the boys from Cowtown is always satisfying, even if it's in a meaningless victory in an exhibition tournament against a team full of actual boys.
ryan.garner@hockeybuzz.com
Some thoughts on Edmonton's Young Stars Tourney opener. Winning the Hearts and Minds: Tkachev Sines in #Oilers Win http://t.co/7QCuLcoGUV
— Ryan Garner (@RyGarner) September 13, 2014