|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Inside the NHL
Updated: Wednesday December 20, 2000 10:04 AM European Plan Older first-year defenders from across the pond are making a big impact By Kostya Kennedy
Never have so many European defensemen in their mid-20s and older made their NHL debuts at one time, and they have done so with unexpected success. The Blues have gotten nearly 20 minutes per game from Alexander Khavanov, a 28-year-old Russian. The Wild's highest-scoring defender is 32-year-old Lubomir Sekeras (13 points), a Slovak, and the Kings' quick-strike offense has been goosed time and again by 24\!year-old Slovakian backliner Lubomir Visnovsky (18 points). None of the aforementioned, save for Visnovsky, are eligible for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year because they're older than 26. Expansion has depleted the ranks of experienced defensemen in recent years, and because nothing whitens general managers' hair faster than watching mistake-prone young blueliners, NHL clubs have turned to Europe for help. The defensemen coming from there have been seasoned by years of topflight competition in pro leagues and have been playing on larger surfaces than their North American counterparts, thus developing excellent puck-moving ability. "These guys have the skills and experience to play right away," says St. Louis general manager Larry Pleau. Despite their potential for immediate impact, it's no accident that Visnovsky, who was selected 118th last June, Kultanen (174th), Sekeras (232nd) and Khavanov (232nd in 1999) weren't taken until relatively late in the draft. "The first few rounds you try to get a young guy who might develop into an All-Star," says Kings G.M. Dave Taylor. "The older Europeans are perfect for later in the draft, because at that stage, if you can get a player who makes your team, it's a good pick." In addition to solidifying NHL defenses, the Euro-picks have inspired new hope across the pond. "The guys over there see who has been getting drafted and that we're doing well," says the Thrashers' 27-year-old Czech defenseman, Frantisek Kaberle, who broke in with L.A. "With two more teams in the NHL, even the older guys know they have a chance." Issue date: December 25, 2000
For more Inside The NHL see this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, December 20. Click here to subscribe to SI.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
