The BIG Russians are coming, the BIG Russians are coming!
At 6-foot-5, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Anton Babchuk has an imposing frame. He is part of the second wave of skilled Russians to crack the NHL, following in the footsteps of Pavel Bures and Alexander Mogilnys
These players are well-suited to the North American style of play, which often is heavily physical, where size matters along with strength and skating ability.
Babchuk runs over people like a freight train. He is a lot like Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Evgeny Artyukhin, who is also 6-5 and is not shy about throwing his weight around.
It may have taken the Russians a while to arrive, but they have certainly adapted to the North American game.
Babchuk has already developed a nasty physical edge to his game and likes to throw checks. A strong positional player and shot blocker, he is able to keep the opponents in front of him.
For a guy his size, he is a strong skater with good speed and above average lateral movement. He will need to get quicker, however, to stay in the NHL.
It was somewhat of a surprise when he became the first of the FAB50 prospects to be traded this season. That happened on Jan. 20 when he was dealt by the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that chose him 21st overall in the 2002 Entry Draft, to the Carolina Hurricanes for Chicago native Danny Richmond.
Rather than send him to the American Hockey League for additional seasoning, the Hurricanes have kept him in the NHL. There he can work with former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Kevin McCarthy, an assistant coach with the Hurricanes.
Babchuk is a very effective power play quarterback, owning a rifle of a shot. It’s perhaps one of the hardest point shots of all defensemen taken in the 2002 draft.
His passing on the power play and in offensive rushes is very creative. The concern is in the defensive zone, where he seems to slow down to a snail's pace to make the correct outlet pass, thinking as opposed to naturally reacting to game situations.
His physical and offensive-minded brand of hockey should get even better as he gains additional NHL experience following the Olympic break.
Babchuk played briefly with Elemash-2 Elektrostal of the Russian 3rd league in 2001-02 before earning a permanent spot with the Upper Level squad Elemash. He amassed 15 points and 90 penalty minutes in 40 games. Anton was able to carry the momentum of his successful season over to the U-18 World Junior Championships.
The big blueliner got the attention of scouts with a six-point, +6 performance in eight tournament games. A conflict with national coach Rafael Ishmatov that caused Babchuk to be left off the World U-20 team had little effect on his soaring stock heading into the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. A glut of promising young forwards pushed Babchuk to 21st overall and into the laps of the then-delighted Chicago Blackhawks.
He attended the UPMC hockey training program in Pittsburgh, getting exposure to North American culture and style of hockey.
After opting to stay in Russia for 2002-03, Babchuk's transition to the North American game in 2003-04 was so smooth that he made his NHL debut halfway through his first year with the Norfolk Admirals. He played five games with the Blackhawks and registered two assists before being sent back down.
That same year also saw Babchuk participate in the AHL All-Star game. In 2004-05, Babchuk recorded his second consecutive season of over 20 points in the AHL as he tallied a career-high 24 points and 16 assists.
We rank him in the upper twenties, the 8th best defenseman in the FAB50 Hockey 2006 at 23.
- Fran Sypek
