Canadiens: Alexander Romanov Isn’t the Franchise Player You’re Expecting
By Scott Cowan
On a stacked Russian team alongside current Florida Panthers prospect Grigori Denisenko, Romanov excelled. The then 19-year-old put up 8 points in 7 games, leading all defenseman in scoring and being named best defenseman of the tournament as well. Naturally, this ignited fan interest for those who were unaware of Romanov, with him having spent the past two years in the MHL, the KHL’s equivalent to the CHL, recording 17 points in 52 games.
Over time, Romanov has joined the discussion amongst other KHL stars like Kirill Kaprizov and Ilya Sorokin. Players who have become stars in their respective league and seem ready to make the jump to North America. On May 8th, 2020, Romanov signed a 3-year, entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens, signifying his intent to play in the NHL next season, should there be one.
The Hockey News ranked him the No.10 prospect in the NHL in their annual top 100 list, and multiple articles and videos have been made talking about the various aspects of his game.
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Fan interest is sky-high, and there’s hope that the left-handed D man can help out a Canadiens defense that has been lacking, especially on the left side. However, you’ve already read the title of this article, and as such, know I’m not part of the group that sees Romanov as the next great defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens. Why?
Because he’s not.
One of the main things analysts and fans have been quick to point out with Romanov is his defensive abilities off the puck. Just looking at his numbers gives you the idea that Romanov isn’t the most talented player offensively, though this is something that can be worked on.
With just 11 points in 86 games, his abilities in his own end should make up for that, and to an extent, they do. The thing is, though, the KHL has garnered a reputation as a very mysterious league, both in terms of its ethics regarding how it runs its league and finances its team and its skill level compared to the NHL and or AHL.
While some say it’s the 2nd best hockey league in the world behind the NHL, others say the AHL just barely beats it. However, most of the star KHL players today are washed up NHLers whose chances have come and gone. So, to say Romanov’s defensive abilities are an immediate slam dunk isn’t exactly justifiable. At most, he’s shown the ability to be a smart player defensively, but to what extent this applies in the NHL remains to be seen.