Ok, so at first look over my roster the first thing I've realized when I look at my team and my minors is..... RUSSIAN OVERLOAD! Ok, so the upside is there but there is a calculated risk nagging at the back of my mind as well in regards to lack luster play and KHL flight risk. Now while this would not make me cut bait on anyone from my roster I will have a decision to make come minor draft day.

A week or so ago I traded Ryan Kesler and a low propect draft pick for a 1st round draft pick (4th overall) in the prospect draft. We will have an expansion draft before our regular drafts this year so I'm not sure what will be available once we hold the official draft which makes this even more difficult as well. I am looking at a couple prospects to draft next year including Dumba, Murray, Etem, B. Smith, Krieder, Conachar, amongst a wealth of others but Kuznetsov is also still sitting in there. He hasn't played an NHL game yet so he is only available to me in my Prospect draft so technically I could snatch him up.

What I'm wondering though is if another manager claims him (Kuz) I was thinking of dangling Huberdeau to acquire him. Given my current prospects is this something I should consider doing? Is the risk even worth the reward given the upside of both?

__________________
64M Cap, Partial Keeper: 4F(ANY) 2D, 2G, Year 1: H2H Daily Starts 2C/2LW/2RW/1F/4D/2G, 14 Teams

Pro

C: Crosby,Getzlaf
LW: Parise,Benn,
RW: Voracek,Ovechkin, Iggy
D: Karlsson, Shattenkirk Carle, Goligoski
G: Theo., Rask, Markstrom


Farm:
Tarasenko, Huberdeau, T. Hall, Hackett, Silfverberg, Yakupov, B.Smith, Josi

Stat Categories

Skaters
FOW(.1) G(4) A(3) PPG(1.5) PPA(1) SHG(3) SHA(2) GWG(1) SOG(.2) +-(1) PIMS(.1) BLK(.2) HIT(.2)
Goalies
W(6) L(-1) SHO(5) SV(0.1) GA(-0.2) GAA(Range of -1 to 8) SV%(Range of -1 to 8)
Twitter:@RogerWi1co

That would be too much of a risk. I would keep Huderdeau.

If Kuz is drafted then be happy and draft Etem and B.Smith.

You can always trade for Kuz when he is stuck in the KHL next year aswell!!

__________________
Zorro says "vote for Dobber"
Angus is my best friend at dobberhockey..
Bruins believer since BIRTH..
Fav player: Cam Neely..

keep Huderdeau , his upside is pretty close to kuz. in my opinion. but no risk.

__________________
10 team Keeper Roto League
4C-4LW-4RW-6D-2G-5bench-unlimited farm.

C= crosby,m.koivu,malkin,zajak,grabovski,j.jokinen,
LW= ovechkin,nash,s.gagner,dubinsky
RW= downie,hemsky,callahan,voracek,perry,mueller
D= green,doughty,phaneuf,wisniewski,girardi,karlsson
G= rask,lundqvist,ward,price

FARM=kreider,grachev,petrov,enroth,kuznetsov,ennis ,rundblad,bjugstad,radulov,montoya, adam,t.erixon,cowan,s.elliot,j.faulk,cormier,petro v,orlov,stone,eakin,grigorenko,silfverberg,brodin, atkinson

--G,A,P,PPP,SHP,GWG,PIMS,+/-,SOG,hits,FOW,blocks-Wins,GAA,SV%,saves,SO

^ I'm totally with Kevin on this. The upside is close enough and Hubs is already on this side of the pond. He's the best player on his team, too. Keep Hubs.

__________________
League: Yahoo 20 Team Dynasty, H2H (4C, 8W, 6D, 1G)
Cats: +/-, FOW, A, G, GWG, PPP, SHP, SOG, S, SPct, W, GAA

C: Benn,Kopitar,J.Staal,Strome
W: Atkinson,Bennett,Brunner,Conacher
Huberdeau,Kessel,Seguin,Selanne
D: Beaulieu,DeKeyser,Despres,D.Hamilton,Leopold,Salo
G: J.Howard
Bench: Braun,B.Flynn,B.Gordon - J.Bernier,O.Pavelec,V.Stalberg
Prospects: Andrighetto,V.Arvidsson,Filatov,G.Carey,K.Flanagan,Kabanov,Lehtera,Omark,Ritchie,
R.Schwartz,Shalunov,Stransky,
Clendening,Deslauriers,Gauthier-Leduc,J.Morrow,R.Murphy,Petrovic,Reilly, -- M.Hackett

Personally I think the elevated upsides of the Russian players is a bit overrated. Historically they have had great highs but have also had incredible lows. They still have their place, but it has to be kept in perspective. I agree with what the others in this thread are saying.

__________________
UHL Calgary Flames
24-team H2H (roto G, A, GWG, SHP, PPP, PIM, +/, SOG, Hits, Blks, FOW, W, SV, SV%, GAA, SO)

Capped article archive

Montreal Canadiens coverage

Twitter:@DH_EricDaoust.

As much as I like Kuznetsov, the difference in upside between him and Huberdeau isn't worth the risk. Fwiw, I'm not even sure he has a higher ceiling than Hubs.

While normally I tell people to take the risk with the high-ceiling Russian, in this case I'd stick with Huberdeau. It's just better roster management.

__________________
20 Team Dynasty (points per) - G (25, 50 for defense) A (25) PIM (3) +/- (5) PPG (15) SHG (25) OTG (15) GWG (25) HTr (50) GP (2) HIT (1) BLK (1) Use actual NHL salary

F: Malkin, Tavares, E. Kane, Parenteau, Havlat, Tarasenko, Galchenyuk, Brunner, Boyes, Kruger, Helm, M. Martin, Bergenheim, Carcillo, Stajan

D: Green, Ehrhoff, Ekman-Larsson, Coburn, Daley, Postma

G: Fleury, Mason, Montoya

Farm: Grigorenko, Grimaldi, Kucherov, D. Shore, Hartikainen, Stransky, Kerdiles, Joensuu, Pageau, Murphy, Ceci, Klefbom, Thrower, Donovan, Ekholm, Lehner, Dansk, Poulin, Nilsson, Andersen

I agree with the Mob to keep Hub's over Kuznetsov , but as I have stated many times this KHL threat is so overblown it is funny. There has been 1 good player in the history of the KHL to leave the NHL (during there prime) or not come over. Cherepanov doe's not count....

The other players mentioned are not in the same realm of talent as Kuznetsov and should not be considered over him, regardless of your feelings about the risk imo....

__________________
Bigbabybuda is the Hawking of fantasy hockey. Greatest hockey mind of our generation!

Thank god I kept Huberdeau!

__________________
64M Cap, Partial Keeper: 4F(ANY) 2D, 2G, Year 1: H2H Daily Starts 2C/2LW/2RW/1F/4D/2G, 14 Teams

Pro

C: Crosby,Getzlaf
LW: Parise,Benn,
RW: Voracek,Ovechkin, Iggy
D: Karlsson, Shattenkirk Carle, Goligoski
G: Theo., Rask, Markstrom


Farm:
Tarasenko, Huberdeau, T. Hall, Hackett, Silfverberg, Yakupov, B.Smith, Josi

Stat Categories

Skaters
FOW(.1) G(4) A(3) PPG(1.5) PPA(1) SHG(3) SHA(2) GWG(1) SOG(.2) +-(1) PIMS(.1) BLK(.2) HIT(.2)
Goalies
W(6) L(-1) SHO(5) SV(0.1) GA(-0.2) GAA(Range of -1 to 8) SV%(Range of -1 to 8)
Twitter:@RogerWi1co