2016-17 Rookie Spotlight: Pavel Buchnevich

Welcome to another 2016-17 Rookie Spotlight, where I will be looking at rookies making their NHL debut during the 2016-17 season. Today we look at Pavel Buchnevich from the NY Rangers.

Name: Pavel Buchnevich

Age: 21

Size: 6ft2 193 lbs

Hometown: Cherepovets

Jersey #: 89

Drafted: 3rd Round 75th Overall in 2013 draft by the New York Rangers

Position: Left Wing

Junior Team: Cherepovets Severstal (KHL)

2016-17 stats: GP 13 G 5 A 8 Pts 13

Comparable NHL players: Nikolai Zherdev

Buchnevich is what you call a "boom-or-bust" player. (Hence the comparison to Nikolai Zherdev) He has all the offensive tools to be a force in the NHL, but has the inconsistency and lack of defense play to go with it. A flash in the pan type of player, but he sure does flashes. Buchnevich's NHL career started with injuries, and back spasm's. However he is back in the Rangers line-up, and has 5 points in the last 3 games. Pavel is a very creative player and smooth skater, and is a fearless force in the offensive zone.

Just checkout some of his goals:

Buchnevich is a high risk/high reward type of player, but why not take the risk? There is no reason why he can't continue to play on the Rangers top line.Also, he is a fairly cheap rookie to collect via hockey cards. There are not many of his cards to collect currently, but as the season goes on, he will have a ton of cards to choose from. So give this Russian kid a chance, he might be turn out to be one of those rare, flashy treasures.