With his VHL rookie season being 1 season removed, and his VHLM rookie season being 2 seasons removed, I would like to highlight his rookie season in the VHLM with the Yukon Rush, and also share about KJA's time with the Riga Reign to re-introduce him to the viewers. After being a early season waiver claim for the Ottawa Lynx (68 GP, 41g,40a, 81p), KJA was drafted 5th overall in the VHLM Dispersal draft to the Yukon Rush, and 5th overall in the VHL Entry Draft to the Riga Reign. In his first season and only season with the Yukon Rush, KJA put up impressive numbers (72 GP, 50g, 68a, 118p), which ended with a cup win. The following season KJA was called up to his VHL team, Riga Reign, and was placed on the 3rd and 4th line where he put up abysmal numbers (72 GP, 6g, 8a, 14p). KJA was not happy about this and was disappointed that his rookie season was wasted and that he did not have a legitimate shot at winning the Rookie of the Year trophy. Despite this setback, and some minor practice dedication issues, KJA has remained strong and continues to work hard to achieve his goal: win the cup.
Konstantin Azhishchenkov can also score
Play Style
Though Konstantin Azhishchenkov's style seemed to be that of a two-way player, KJA has begun to focus more on becoming a play-maker like his idol, Nicklas Backstrom. As his career has progressed, one can see that he has begun to focus on passing the puck and generating assists. However, he has worked on all aspects of his game in hopes of remaining well-balanced. His highest stat being Passing with 83 practice hours, its no surprise that he constantly has more assists than his scoring, despite his scoring stat being a strong 80 practice hours. After his 83 passing practice hours, KJA has a 4 way tie between Skating, Puck Handling, Face Offs, and Scoring, all at 80 practice hours. This shows his determination to be a, "Jack-of-all-trades" type player instead of a sole play-maker. As a result of the majority of players having a hunger to score goals, KJA does not mind feeding the goal-hungry nature of his teammates, giving his coaches a different type of player to work with.
KJA is working on the defensive aspect of his game
VHLM Season 37
Konstantin Jaroslav Azhishchenkov was drafted by the Yukon Rush in the Season 37 VHLM Dispersal Draft. This season displayed his inclination to pass the puck rather than shoot to score with his 68 assists, but KJA also demonstrated his strong build of a, "jack-of-all-trades" player by adding on 50 goals. Though his defensive game needed more work, KJA's offensive ability made him a danger in the offensive zone that helped lead Yukon to a cup win.
Given his S37 stats, one can see that KJA has achieved a good all-around build. His goals, assists, points, and +/- stats are very high. His hits are about average which given his offensive prowess, it is not bad to see that he is not afraid to hit someone.
KJA has worked hard at mastering the art of skating
Pros/Cons
Pros
Skating: Since he has been a kid, skating has always been his strongest suit. It continues even into his pro career. With 80 practice hours dedicated to his skating, he works very hard honing his strengths. Some of coaches and players even remark that KJA skates on the ice like water flows.
Passing: Though listed as a CON at the beginning of his career, KJA has worked on his passing to such a degree that now its a pro and one of his best characteristics. With his passing, KJA works the puck in the offensive zone, generating scoring chances and setting up his teammates. He continually gets more assists than goals, but his assists really help the team.
Scoring: The issue with many players is that they either get a ton of goals and zero assists, or they get a ton of assists and next to zero goals. KJA is not like this at all. In S37, KJA scored 50 goals which is quite an accomplishment in 72 games. Pair this with his strong play-making ability, and you have one hell of a forward. Though KJA focuses on passing, I would not ignore his scoring ability, but instead count both his passing and scoring as strengths.
Cons
Dedication: Dedication/hardworking was one of KJA's pros at the beginning of his career. Unfortunately, this did not remain true throughout his career. KJA had periods of time where he was nowhere to be found, and did not report to practice. His GM worried and had a serious talk with him. Now KJA is getting about 4-5 hours of practice in a week, but even then he could be getting a lot more. Its unfortunate to see such a star fizzle out.
Loner: KJA's lone wolf/loner personality is again plaguing him. Despite a relatively energetic Agent, KJA is rarely in his team locker room and does not really participate in the discussions until it is too late or irrelevant. Though this may not directly effect his game, its still uncomfortable to hear that a teammate is not working well with the team in the locker room.
Defense: Despite trying to become a strong all-around player, KJA's defense is lacking. It seems like he worked heavily on making sure he had strong offensive skills and is now slowly working on his defense. It is never good to be too one dimensional, and even though his defense is improving, it still is not as strong as it should be, and KJA may even be considered a liability in the defensive zone.
(*sidenote: I got the format off of Draper. So thanks Draper for the basic layout*)
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