Georgi Merkulov’s favourite participant rising up was fellow Russian Pavel Datsyuk, however the 21-year-old Ryazan native is aware of he’s no Pavel Datsyuk.
Oh, Merkulov definitely has some flash-and-dash to his recreation, which he displayed in his one yr at Ohio State and in his transient stint with Providence after the Bruins signed him final spring. But it’s the opposite a part of Datsyuk’s recreation – the one which received him three straight Selke Awards from 2008-2010 – that Merkulov admittedly falls quick. But it’s not for an absence of attempting, or self-awareness.
“That’s been an issue since I was like 13 years old,” stated the centerman, who’s making his Bruins’ Development Camp debut this week. “I’ve been working on that in school, in juniors. Even when I played for Youngstown, the coaches would say scouts always ask about you but they don’t like how you play in the D-zone so you have to be better and you will have success.. Same as here in Boston. They always say ‘D-zone, D-zone, D-zone.’”
Former B’s defenseman Adam McQuaid, now working within the group’s participant improvement division, noticed fairly a bit Merkulov final season as he tracked one of many B’s prime prospects, defenseman Mason Lohrei, who might be headed again to play his sophomore season with the Buckeyes. McQuaid stated the 5-11, 181-pound Merkulov’s talent stage “is something you can’t teach.” And Merkulov has flashed a few of these shake-and-bake strikes on the B’s camp. But the elements of his recreation which can be much less pure to him will want a whole lot of work..
“I think it will be somewhat of a daily process for him,” stated McQuaid. “He’s playing in the middle of the ice and we know that, especially here, you have to be good in your own end to play the middle of the ice and play that 200-foot game. Those will be things the staff here will be working with him moving forward. It’s nice that he’s recognized it himself and he wants to work at it, so it seems like he’ll be a good fit that way.”
For Merkulov, the message through the years has been acquainted.
“They always say it’s the small details, that I get distracted. I always cheat. I want to get the puck and go on offense as quick as possible and sometimes I just force it. That’s the biggest thing,” stated Merkulov.
If Merkulov works at his defensive recreation like he has in overcoming the language barrier he as soon as confronted when he first arrived right here to play for Youngstown of the USHL in 2019, the B’s may need one thing in him.
With the assumption that the faculty route could be the perfect improvement path for him as soon as he aged out of the USHL, he knew he needed to study a satisfactory English, and he has accomplished so very properly. His aim to start out was to study 50 new phrases every day. He additionally picked up what he might from YouTube and tv. ‘The Big, Bang Theory’ was his favourite.
“You start with ‘dog, cow, grass’ then you go up and up,” stated Merkulov. “When you start, you’re like a baby. You can’t speak, you can’t understand, you’re just quiet and you listen. Then a couple of months go by and you start to understand more, then a couple more months and you try to express yourself. Then you have (bad) pronunciation. No one can understand you. But you can’t give up. You just keep working, working and after a year, year and a half, I was all right.”
He by no means obtained drafted, however he opened the B’s eyes with a 20-14-34 season in 36 video games as an older freshman for the Buckeyes. That was adequate for the B’s to supply him a contract, and the provide was adequate for Merkulov to leap.
“I was impressed, to be honest with you, that Boston offered me,” stated Merkulov. “I talked to scouts, talked to coaches, talked to my parents. I wasn’t drafted in the NHL, so for me it would have been a risk coming back for my sophomore year. I thought if I come back and don’t have a good year, or get injured, I might not have a second chance to sign.”
He performed eight video games for Providence final yr, notching 1-4-5 totals. With the accidents the B’s are going through, he hopes to make an impression on administration. At the very least, he’d like to satisfy Patrice Bergeron.
“I hope sometime this training camp I will, because he’s a master of the D-zone,” stated Merkulov.
He might have assist in that division, however at the least he is aware of the place to search for it.
Lazar headed to open market
As anticipated, UFA Curtis Lazar might be headed to market when free company opens on Wednesday at midday. With the B’s tight up in opposition to the wage and eager to convey again Bergeron and probably David Krejci, there’s little room for Lazar, particularly with plenty of candidates vying for fourth line time. A strong, versatile professional, Lazar ought to earn a bump in pay from the $800,000 he made final season…
Just what sort of participant 6-foot-2, 194-pound Jackson Edward develops into stays to be seen, however his hard-hitting fame appears to be well-earned. The seventh rounder from the London Knights virtually put fifth rounder Frederic Brunet into the bench with an enormous test on Rimouski Oceanic D-man on Tuesday….
After the on-ice session on Tuesday, the prospects have been headed out to do some rowing on the Charles River.
Source: www.bostonherald.com