Lokomotiv was a complete disappointment in the Gagarin Cup final. The team, which had already won the title before the start of the series with Metallurg and had received the maximum fees for it, in the end not only lost outright, but also broke the league record for the number of goals in the final. Of course, the timely work of Magnitka’s video coaches also helped, but the Yaroslavl team looked dogmatic, and Igor Nikitin kept creative Yaroslav Likhachev, who scored in the fourth game, on the bench for most of the final.
After this final, we offered Lokomotiv a recipe: create a line with really skilled players who would be allowed to play in the foreign zone as they wanted and knew how. At CSKA Nikitin, which became champion in 2019, this was Linden Vey’s line, at Ak Bars in 2018 – Anton Lander’s line. However, the situation with foreign players in 2024 is not as promising as it is now, and the Yaroslavl management has not been characterized by subtle moves in recent years. Lokomotiv has new stars, but they seem to be continuing with the old strategy.
The main acquisition was Alexander Radulov. Now the transition of the Tasmanian Devil seems to be a step not only purely hockey, but also psychological. Before the last final, Loko more than once or twice demonstrated phenomenal indifference in key playoff matches, which led to early eliminations. Radulov may be disappointed with emotions – we can recall his elimination of Kirill Vorobyov in the series “Avtomobilist”, which influenced the course of the entire confrontation. However, you can be sure: Alexander will care and will not let the local players remain indifferent.
Alexander Radulov
Photo: Yaroslav Neelov, photo.khl.ru
“I don’t think that I am the main star of Lokomotiv. There are many talented guys here, I won’t single out anyone, you know them all. They proved everything to everyone with their strong game,” Radulov said in an interview with the Championship. However, it is difficult to remember the last time a forward with such a rich portfolio came to Yaroslavl, even at the age of 38. After the tragedy of 2011, Lokomotiv had few bright forwards: in ten years, Yaroslavl players exceeded the 40-point mark only six times. For example, in the more modest “Sibir”, during the same period, hockey players reached this level 14 times. Radulov may not break these records, but we repeat: this is the name.
Full interview with Radulov:
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“I don’t consider myself the main star of Lokomotiv. Frank conversation with Radulov.
Loko also hires its first foreign forward in two years – yes, after Reed Boucher was fired under an article of the Labor Code, there were no foreign players in the team’s attack. At the age of 33, Byron Fraze has racked up almost a hundred games in the NHL, and in the last two seasons he has racked up 25 games in Las Vegas. The main statistic that is noticeable during this period of time is 57% of face-offs won. Considering that Russian centers often noticeably sink at the point, Fraze could become one of the league’s kings in neutral face-offs. However, this is not the center who will disperse attacks. The reports of American scouts are eloquent: “a plowman who scores most of his points in the paint.”
Lokomotiv also made a significant signing and retained Martin Gernat. In the spring, it was not entirely clear whether the Slovakian would continue his career in the KHL, but Gernat, who became a breath of fresh air in the game, renewed his contract for one year and was able to return to the national team without leaving Russia. However, the Slovakian earns a decent amount: according to SE, 65 million a year is a lot for a defender who cannot be called a pure attacker.
Lokomotiv suffered minor losses. The main departure is Ivan Chekhovich, who seemed to have become a hostage to the price paid for him. At the time of the exchange of the forward from Torpedo, most of the assets that Lokomotiv gave him were not of much value to the Yaroslavl team, but in Nizhny almost all of them were revealed, and Chekhovich, in turn, could not fit into Nikitin’s schemes.
The high price tag seemed to complicate a potential trade by Loko, which would inevitably take place at a discount. Lokomotiv, unlike other clubs, does not have the option to “re-sign the contract for Radulov’s sake,” so it is forced to let Chekhovich go for free. Veterans Andronov and Averin are gone, but their offensive productivity is no longer what it once was and their influence in the locker room must be compensated by Radulov himself.
In general, Lokomotiv did not radically change the concept – this was not necessary after the last final, and the current management did not notice the radicalism. This squad still has the same birthmarks and questions about specific players who did not perform at 100% in the playoffs; however, one should also take into account the future progress of the young Yaroslavl players. Dmitry Simashev and Danila Booth already showed themselves well last year, and now Booth himself trains with the Frase-Radulov combination in the pre-season.
Lokomotiv in the 2024 Gagarin Cup final
Photo: Yuri Kuzmin, foto.khl.ru
“We told the guys two things after the final. First, we need to correctly assess why we made it to the final. It’s very important. Second, if we come out of this hungry and angry, that’s what we need. There’s no need to think too much. You need to take a confident and prepared step. The guys went through a meat grinder last season. We got burned pretty badly. For any man and athlete, this is an important incentive to grow,” Nikitin said after the first open training session of the season.
The main question is another: will Lokomotiv be able to impose its tendencies on the league? This offseason is marked by youth and speed; there are still many famous hockey players on the market without a contract. The KHL is adopting what was fashionable in the NHL seven years ago after Pittsburgh’s victory, but then light and high-speed teams beat the big pressure machines, and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Florida fit this definition.
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Lokomotiv is very good at pressing, but they don’t always use this weapon. It makes no sense to adapt to the trends of the rest of the league in one season; examples like the one in Siberia have shown that this requires a lot of preparatory work. That’s why in Yaroslavl they will stick to their line, which has led to a constant improvement in results for three seasons.
