Oilers invite undrafted Vladimir Tkachev to camp

[doulos]

chances of him making the team?

Pretty much none. Even if he is astounding he's a longer term guy from what I can tell.

[vitun-tyhmä]

Pretty much none. Even if he is astounding he's a longer term guy from what I can tell.

So basically they're just considering taking a flyer on him to see if he might work out

[petegreg21]

In similar news, Blake Clarke (Saginaw Spirit, 2014 undrafted) went to the Red Wings summer camp and impressed so much that he earned an invite to the Traverse City tournament!

Going into last season, he was seen as a potential 1st round pick, budding power forward etc etc, then he fall flat on his face out of the gate, got traded, walked off the bus in Saginaw and fell on his face again.

We'll see what he can make of the opportunity but at least someone is giving the kid a chance again!

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=121997

[ericdaoust]

So basically they're just considering taking a flyer on him to see if he might work out

Yeah that's pretty much it. Didn't cost them any assets to make it possible. I'm surprised the move got this much attention in the forum though.

[doulos]

Yeah that's pretty much it. Didn't cost them any assets to make it possible. I'm surprised the move got this much attention in the forum though.

Well there are a higher percentage of noisy Oiler fans here (myself included) and Tkachev was rated highly by scouts for a while before falling off the cliff at the draft. His small sample size is crazy good as well.

[dodospice]

Tkachev deserved to be drafted, the fact he wasn't is an absolute shame. Blake Clarke was a really surprising player last year... in a bad way.. it's sad to see a kid fall flat on his face like that. I hope whatever was causing the issues goes away because the kid can play.

[doulos]

Tkachev was rated fairly highly at one point, but he has a lot of strikes against him. Russian? Check. Tiny? Check. Not motivated to play a lick of defense? Check. It's not surprising he didn't get drafted. He's a longshot no matter how you slice it.

[Axeman33]

It always surprises me when certain players don't get drafted. Kids like Andrey Makarov, who passed through multiple drafts and now has quickly climbed the ranks in Buffalo. That one was a head scratcher. How does someone not take a flyer on that kid in the 7th round. Same as someone like Tkachev. Sure he's small, sure he's Russian, but the kids skill level is undeniable. How do you not spend a 7th round pick on this kid and get him in line for a shot to prove he is ready.

Sometimes I really wonder what NHL GMs really are thinking.

[ericdaoust]

It always surprises me when certain players don't get drafted. Kids like Andrey Makarov, who passed through multiple drafts and now has quickly climbed the ranks in Buffalo. That one was a head scratcher. How does someone not take a flyer on that kid in the 7th round. Same as someone like Tkachev. Sure he's small, sure he's Russian, but the kids skill level is undeniable. How do you not spend a 7th round pick on this kid and get him in line for a shot to prove he is ready.

Sometimes I really wonder what NHL GMs really are thinking.

They tend to focus too strongly on negatives instead of focusing on the player's strengths.

[Axeman33]

They tend to focus too strongly on negatives instead of focusing on the player's strengths.

Considering the number of 7th round players that actually make the NHL, at some point the positives have to outweigh the negatives. Is he a risk? Of course, but so is everyone taken late in the draft. Why these scouts and GMs don't see through the smoke and look for any type of positive that late is something I don't understand. Either way, glad to see someone giving the kid a shot.

[Shift Disturber]

Considering the number of 7th round players that actually make the NHL, at some point the positives have to outweigh the negatives. Is he a risk? Of course, but so is everyone taken late in the draft. Why these scouts and GMs don't see through the smoke and look for any type of positive that late is something I don't understand. Either way, glad to see someone giving the kid a shot.

I agree. It always blows me away how most teams will waste their late round picks on gorillas who can't skate when there are great opportunities for highly skilled longshots. Sebastien Aho is another example.

[Spec7ral]

One of the biggest faults in management in all fields is focusing too much on negatives and trying to turn people into something they aren't, rather than developing strengths and pairing those people with others who excel at their areas of weakness songs to form a multifaceted team, as opposed to trying to make everyone fit a specific mold of what perfect looks like.

[vitun-tyhmä]

It always surprises me when certain players don't get drafted. Kids like Andrey Makarov, who passed through multiple drafts and now has quickly climbed the ranks in Buffalo. That one was a head scratcher. How does someone not take a flyer on that kid in the 7th round. Same as someone like Tkachev. Sure he's small, sure he's Russian, but the kids skill level is undeniable. How do you not spend a 7th round pick on this kid and get him in line for a shot to prove he is ready.

Sometimes I really wonder what NHL GMs really are thinking.

Tkachev deserved to be drafted, the fact he wasn't is an absolute shame. Blake Clarke was a really surprising player last year... in a bad way.. it's sad to see a kid fall flat on his face like that. I hope whatever was causing the issues goes away because the kid can play.

I think the fear of KHL defection has soured many NHL GMs. Far too many promising Russian prospects coming over to North America and then not having the perseverance to stick with it and earn their spots. Why waste the money and resources and coaching on a player who's going to bail on you for big money in the KHL? Better off picking a guy from Canada or the U.S. who might not possess the same raw talent but will give his left nut to play in the NHL.

[Ed.]

Yeah, he was a lot fun to watch.

Particularly when he made Dan Ellis cry.

[Zorro]

I'm not complaining at all. Seems like a reasonable risk, particularly since they have Yakupov, Yakimov, Slepyshev etc already on the roster.

Slepyshev?? When are Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Happy, Sneezy, and Dopey getting their invites??