Canadiens: Alexander Romanov Isn’t the Franchise Player You’re Expecting

I’ll be honest and say that Romanov is an intriguing prospect, and fans have some reasons to be excited about him coming to Montreal. He’s smart, defensively sound, and has a tad bit of offensive upside. He’s been frequently tasked with covering some of the best players in the KHL and has done a decent job at it. However, I am also going to say this:

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The amount of hype NHL prospects can have around them is staggering. For rebuilding teams, these kids have the potential to be the face of the franchise and save an organization in different ways, from finances to fan interest, to the on-ice product. But that’s the thing, these are kids who have no experience in the NHL, both in terms of the on-ice and off-ice product.

At the moment, I’m 19 years old, sitting at a desk, writing an article on guys that are the same age as me, with the weight of a professional organization on their shoulders. Alexander Romanov is one such kid, and he’s one that doesn’t speak English or French fluently, if at all. To put this much pressure on someone, this young is simply ridiculous to me and could run the risk of stunting the growth of an honestly intriguing prospect.

While I can’t see Romanov as the franchise defenseman he’s been built up to be, I could see him being a serviceable middle to bottom pairing defenseman on a team that needs one, like the Montreal Canadiens. To put this much hype on such a young, unassuming kid, however, will inevitably make it difficult for him to play this role sufficiently without backlash.

I can understand why Romanov has been getting the hype he’s been getting. However, he’s simply not the player everyone is expecting him to be, and he should be simply given a chance to feel out the NHL and settle into whatever role he settles into. Whether it be as a franchise defenseman or a serviceable lesser pairing player.

In the end, he’s a year older than me and needs a chance to experience the NHL, rather than despise the NHL. After all,

Isn’t that what creates a draft bust in the first place?