Bogatyrev Talks Seattle Future

[Bojovnik 487]

SEATTLE, February 27, 2023 (Shaiba.ru) – It felt like the VHL regular season began just last week. As S87 begins to come to its conclusion, many teams are still in the midst of fierce fighting for postseason places. In the North American Conference, the Chicago Phoenix, Seattle Bears, and New York Americans are all battling for two wild card places. Let’s not even get into the mess that is the European Conference, where the parity in the league this past season has been remarkable.

 

So, let’s go back to the North American Conference. One major mover over the past week has been the Seattle Bears. The side from Washington, which has been plagued by offensive struggles over the past two seasons, decided to take matters into their own hands at the trade deadline by acquiring not one, but two stars of the VHL. Firstly, Tavish DeGroot was acquired from the Riga Reign, with the team making the remarkable decision to move DeGroot from defense to wing. Several days later, perennial Scott Boulet candidate Vasile Lamb was snatched from the DC Dragons for futures.

 

The impact these two trades have had on the Seattle Bears’ fortunes cannot be overstated. After spluttering through the season, and even being in sixth place on the eve of the trade deadline, the Bears have sprung into life. Their recent 6-3-1 run over the last 10 games has seen them surge past the New York Americans, all but securing a place in the wild card playoff with just 7 games left to play in the regular season.

 

The added depth to the forward lines has also helped young forward Yaroslav Bogatyrev find his form. After a season and a half of struggles, Bogatyrev is starting to look more and more like the player the Bears fans thought they were getting when management selected the big bodied Russian forward with the second overall pick in the S86 VHL Entry Draft.

 

Through 65 games, Bogatyrev has already exceeded his goals, assists, and points totals from his rookie season. He now sits at 19+23 for 42 points. While he may be struggling compared to the likes of first overall pick from the same draft, The Frenchman, but Bogatyrev’s progression should bring some happiness to Bears fans and management alike.

 

“It’s good that I’m finally seeing my contribution on the scoresheet. It’s really been a tough go of it, but I’m starting to see the results of my efforts, and helping the team get wins is what I’m paid to do,” Bogatyrev told Shaiba.ru this past weekend.

 

“The struggles of my first two seasons in Seattle left me questioning whether the issue was my own play, or how I fit into the team’s structure. At times it felt that the team was doing everything to help me, but I wasn’t able to do anything from them. In those moments, you start thinking whether or not to ask for a trade, and especially as I know that my contract is up at the end of next season, whether I want to stay here or not. The signs are looking positive for now,” Bogatyrev remarked.