Nick Bobrov in Sherbrooke on Thursday night: Four players, including three Russians, under scrutiny
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The regular season has been underway for two weeks in the QMJHL. Only one team remains undefeated: the Moncton Wildcats (4-0-0).
The Sherbrooke Phoenix (4-0-1) and the Val-d'Or Foreurs (3-0-1) remain undefeated in regulation. However, they have each lost one game in overtime.
Last night, the Phoenix hosted the Océanic in Sherbrooke. The home team edged out the Rimouski squad 5–4.
Why am I talking about the Q this morning? Because there was an interesting spectator in the stands at the Palais des sports Léopold-Drolet: Nick Bobrov, co-director of amateur scouting.
Who was he there to scout?
The Phoenix had three Russian players in their lineup last night: Ilya Kolmakov (LW), Daniyar Aibatov (D), and Ilya Kuzminykh (C). Kuzminykh, in fact, scored two goals in his team's victory. Needless to say, Nick Bobrov and Martin Lapointe have drafted a Russian player (Ivan Demidov, Alexander Zharovsky, and Gleb Pugashyov) with their first pick in each of the past three summers.
All three Russians will be eligible for the NHL amateur draft next summer, and Kolmakov is the only one who was in Quebec last year; the other two have just arrived here.
Experts currently believe that Kolmakov could be selected in the second round. The Canadiens currently hold one first-round pick and one second-round pick.
It's worth noting that Mason St-Louis has managed to carve out a spot on the Phoenix roster, but he wasn't in uniform against the Océanic; he's dealing with an injury that's being evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
It's worth noting that on the Océanic side, Czech player Maxmilian Mares, a 6'6” center/winger, has been turning heads since the start of the season. He has six points in five games… and was ranked 13th in Craig Button's most recent list of draft-eligible prospects.
(Credit: Getty Images)
Come to think of it, he's most likely the player Nick Bobrov was watching the most last night.
Yes, the Canadiens have emerged from their rebuild, and no, the amateur draft isn't followed as closely by fans as it was three or four years ago, but continuing to draft well will be essential if the team wants to remain competitive for years to come.