Rookie Experience – Yaroslav Bogatyrev

[Bojovnik 487]

Yaroslav Bogatyrev wasn’t expecting to be drafted second overall. In many of the Mock Drafts ahead of selection day, the big-bodied Russian forward was projected to slide down the rankings. Maybe to fifth, maybe further.

 

Cue his surprise when the Seattle Bears decided to select the Nizhnii Tagil native with the second overall pick.

 

With draft-day selection comes a number of decisions. Bogatyrev was one of only two players (along with #1 pick The Frenchman) to make the jump to the VHLE after just 20 games in the VHLM. At that time, the Cologne Express deemed Bogatyrev good enough to play up a level, and the same was the case with Seattle.

 

Bogatyrev joined a Seattle Bears roster that was looking for improvement following the preceding season’s disappointment. Management made significant moves to completely overhaul the team’s defensive core. “The rebuild is over”, many were saying.

 

The Russian forward showed in the VHLE that he could find the back of the net. He had 59 points in his only VHLE season, but what impressed scouts the most was his commitment to defensive play, something that many doubted ahead of the draft.

 

Bogatyrev joined the Seattle Bears and went straight into their RW hole on the second line. Many projected that this could create problems for him, given how Seattle overloads their talent on the top line, but the Russian forward has still shown that he has what it takes to compete at the top tier of world hockey.

 

Roughly one week ago, Bogatyrev shocked the world with a four-point performance against London United. He grabbed two goals and two assists in a dominant display that underlined his star credentials.

 

However, a 9-game point drought followed in the wake of that outburst. What this shows is that while Bogatyrev’s rookie season has had its moments, finding consistency has been a major problem for the Nizhnii Tagil native.

 

As the season moves towards the halfway stage, Bogatyrev knows that he has to be on his game every single night if he wants to make a contribution in the VHL. There are no off games, there are no days off. The VHL requires players to be at their best every single night, and this is something that the 6’6’’ forward knows.

 

There’s no other goal for the Seattle Bears other than making the playoffs in S86. Bogatyrev experienced playoff pushes in the VHLM and VHLE, although we all know that winning in the VHL requires something completely different.