Profile: Valeri Morozov [1/2]

[Dangles13 373]

Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height / Weight: 6’6, 225 lbs
Born: Yekaterinburg, Russia

 

Valeri Morozov is a big-bodied winger who creates space and can bury goals with aplomb. The Russian forward hopes to carve out a spot in the VHLM and then the VHL in the very near future. Not much is known about the youngster so far but we set out to learn what we could from his earlier days with HC Avtomobilist in the KHL before he made the jump to North American hockey. Comparing what we learned from his tape to the several games he has played with Saskatoon, we learned the following:

 

+ Speed: Morozov is rather fast for a large man, his legs pump like pistons and his top-end speed is enough to rival any player in the league. While Valeri has tremendous North/South acceleration, he does not have great agility or East/West skating, which will hamper him in the smaller rinks. Morozov will need to keep working on his agility but the speed and size of the winger will lead him to score breakaway goals while also allowing him to backcheck well.

 

- Vision: Valeri is known more for banging bodies and scoring goals than passing and this is due to his limited vision. With the puck, Valeri is dangerous as he can score from anywhere and has the strength to bring the puck to the net but good players will key on the fact that he is not a dish master. Morozov will need to address this before he hits the VHL if he wishes to evolve into a complete player.

 

+ Forechecking: The Yekaterinburg product is a tenacious forward when chasing down the puck and his imposing figure can back off defenders. The reach and strength of the man-child are huge assets when the puck is in the corners, 50/50 puck battles are really more like 60/40 when he is involved. Skilled forwards will benefit from the Russian's puck pursuit and a coach will have the ability to make some interesting line combos.

 

 

- Puck Handling: The big man does not have the ability to deke around players and while it may seem like his strength should lead to better puck protection, his hands are not there. As he learns to utilize his body and muscle to shield the puck he will become formidable but right now he is too prone to turnovers.

 

+ Leadership: The Russian exhibits character that belies his age and has worn a letter with almost every single team he has played for. Morozov was cited as having superb maturity and easily commands the locker room when he wishes to. Not known for being a chatterbox, Valeri has a way of saying what needs to be said and making sure people hear it. Character still has a place in this numbers-driven game.

 

- Discipline: Morozov's aggressive playstyle leads him to the penalty box more often than most coaches would like. Whether it is boarding, charging or hitting from behind, Valeri takes his fair share of minor and double minor penalties that set his team back. It is unfortunate because Morozov is a skilled penalty killing forward and the sloppy play takes him out of the game. This is will need to be cleaned up before he hits the big time.

 

 

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

Great RP, buddy. I like how you alternate the pros and cons too. Most people just list 3 pros then 3 cons.

Gotta love those pros.