From now until the beginning of training camp, Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty is profiling players who will be on, or have a chance to be on, the 2015-16 Bruins. Today's player: Alex Khokhlachev.
Alex Khokhlachev hasn’t made much of an impact yet on the NHL club, and is entering the “make or break” portion of his career with the organization. The Russian center has been a productive player at the AHL level, and even has a game-winning shootout goal at the NHL level in an eventful win over the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. But he hasn’t yet shown the ability to make an impact at the NHL level despite some impressive skills around the net, and has been mentioned in previous trade talks with other teams over the last couple of years. Now is the time for Koko to shine if it’s ever going to happen with the Black and Gold, and this will be a pivotal year for him with Boston.
What Happened Last Year: The 21-year-old followed up an excellent 21 goal, 57 point rookie season with the Providence Bruins, and had a decent 15 goal, 43 point sophomore campaign with a handful of NHL games with the Bruins. Koko was one of Providence’s best players in the five game playoff series against Hartford registering two goals and three points in five games, and has shown a promising ability to elevate his game during the postseason. Khokhlachev potted a game-winning shootout goal in Boston’s midseason win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but has otherwise gone scoreless in four career NHL games with the Big Bruins. While Khokhlachev hasn’t done anything egregiously negative at the NHL level or during his chances to make an impression in big league training camp, the Russian prospect hasn’t really done much to force his way into Boston’s long range plans either.
Questions to be Answered This Season: Is the 5-foot-11, 184-pound Khokhlachev big enough, strong enough and a fast enough skater to make the jump to the NHL level? That is essentially the question right now as Koko has shown he can be a very productive AHL player while also being one of the youngest players in the league. His skills play at the AHL level, and he’s strong enough to hold onto the puck down low, or find his way to the net to score goals around the painted area. The 21-year-old has yet to show he is strong enough, tough enough or fast enough to turn the same offensive trick against NHL defenders, and Khokhlachev doesn’t have much value if he’s not producing offensively. He’s not the first prospect that’s needed to prove these things in order to make the jump from AHL prospect to NHL player, and he won’t be the last. If Khokhlachev is with Providence to start the season, he also needs to show a more consistent push during the regular season. He’s a better player than 15 goals and 43 points at the AHL level, and if he isn’t then he doesn’t deserve to be in Boston anyway. Another swirling question around Koko is the looming specter of the KHL, which hovers around any Russian-born player like the former second round pick. Khokhlachev has consistently stated his desire to play in the NHL above all other leagues, but there’s always the threat he could leave for Russia if he feels like his path to the NHL is blocked within the Bruins organization.
Boston Bruins
In Their Words: “It always depends on who they’re pushing, and who is there on the [NHL] roster. I don’t think anybody knows. Can Khokhlachev gain that extra half step? The summer can dictate that. The same goes for [Seth] Griffith and his quickness.”—Providence Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, when asked about the chances of some P-Bruins players making the next step.
Overall Outlook: Interestingly enough, Alex Khokhlachev had his KHL rights traded from Avangard Omsk to SKA St. Petersburg over the summer. So while the Russian winger is expected to be a full participant in training camp and for the Bruins organization again this season, there will be some leverage there for Khokhlachev should he fail to crack the Bruins roster out of training camp. Khokhlachev has spent two full years in the AHL developing his game, and certainly could stand even more development in Providence should he wind up there again this season. But he could also force his way into the NHL conversation with the kind of dominant training camp he hasn’t enjoyed yet during his time with the Bruins organization. It’s time for Khokhlachev to start turning heads and show he can produce offensively for the NHL club, and then the opportunities will show up for him. If Koko goes through the motions like he did during last fall’s training camp and doesn’t show that he did the work this summer, then he’ll plummet further down the depth chart after watching Ryan Spooner pass him by over the last six months. Khokhlachev could find himself with a bottom six opportunity if the Bruins trade out an established player or two (Chris Kelly, perhaps), but he’ll have to earn it the old-fashioned way. He’ll also have to adjust his game, which is much more geared toward being a top-6 guy than a bottom-6 guy. Then Khokhlachev will need to show the same kind of on-the-puck strength and playmaking tenacity that he flashed during the AHL playoffs. If he does all of those things then Khokhlachev could live up to his potential with the B’s organization entering the last year of his contract. If he doesn’t then he might find himself trying to break through with a different organization in his near future.