Valentin Zykov was a fleeting presence for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19 and he has yet to prove that he’s got what it takes to succeed in the NHL.
Valentin Zykov: Grade F
We continue with our 2018-19 Vegas Golden Knights Report Cards today by taking a closer look at Valentin Zykov’s small body of work for the franchise…
His season
The Vegas Golden Knights claimed Valentin Zykov off waivers in December, 2018 after the right-shot stunk during a short stint with the Edmonton Oilers, failing to put up a single point in five games and registering a plus / minus rating of -1.
Zykov is very much of an enigma in the modern game today. Able to boast a stocky frame and blessed with a dazzling array of skills and hockey smarts, the forward hasn’t been able to crack the majors yet.
He’s got potential and a fairly high ceiling as shown in the AHL where he was named to the 2018 AHL All-Star game following a year where he potted 33 goals.
But he’s struggled in the NHL having tallied 11 points in 25 games for the Carolina Hurricanes, although he did show flashes of talent during his time with the Canes.
He did also have a 61.4 percent Corsi rating with Carolina and he was trusted with the big guns on occasion having skated on a line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.
However, the biggest blemish on Zykov’s copybook is his questionable skating ability and that resulted in a limited role on the fourth-line for the Hurricanes for the majority of his career with that franchise.
He was also used sparingly by the Oilers and he didn’t fare much better with the Golden Knights, skating in just 10 games for the team.
Zykov posted two goals and no assists for two points in those 10 games with a plus / minus rating of -3.
He logged on average of 11:23 minutes of ice time a game for Vegas and didn’t show a great deal of game-changing ability.
Ryan Carpenter, William Carrier, Ryan Reaves, Tomas Nosek and Brandon Pirri all bring a lot more to the table in a bottom-six role and there are a glut of prospects in the Vegas farm system that are deserving of a shot at the big leagues.
That will count against Zykov who could be shopped or bought out this offseason in order to create much-needed cap space.
Why the grade
Valentin Zykov is a potent weapon in the minors but he’s not been anywhere near that standard in the NHL.
He has shown the odd glimpse of tantalising potential for the Carolina Hurricanes but he’s largely disappointed in his last two stops at the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Zykov has the ability, the build and the skills to be able to translate his AHL success over into the NHL and, at 24-years-old, he’s still got time on his side.
However, the left-wing failed to make the most of his opportunity with the Golden Knights and he’s likely to be gone by the time training camp starts with a glut of forwards above him on the depth chart, including Nikita Gusev who looks primed to make an instant impact in the NHL.
Gusev proved at the IIHF World Championships that he can thrive alongside elite talent after going on a tear at the tournament alongside Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov, and he looks to have more upside in a bottom-six role than Zykov at this point.
It is still early in Zykov’s career and the promise is there so it would be wrong to write off the young forward completely at this stage, but Vegas need to create cap space and shedding Zykov’s $675,000 contract could be a small price to pay for the front office.
The numbers
Games: 10
Goals: 2
Points: 2
ATOI: 11:37
Plus / Minus: -3
Hits: 18
CF%: 53.0
Next Report Card: Jon Merrill