What Happened to Zherdev?

Nikolai Zherdev has just cheerfully flown back to Russia to compete with his countrymen in the World Championships of Hockey. Here is a recent interview with Nikolai Zherdev:

Q: Was it difficult to accept the invitation from the national team after the disappointing defeat by Washington in the first round of the playoffs?

NZ: Not difficult at all. As you know, when I met with the coaches in New York, we discussed it straight away: that if we get knocked out after the first round, I’d come. We lost - it’s OK. We’ll win next year.

Q: How would you evaluate your game in the current season?

NZ: I think that I played OK. We got into the playoffs, that was a first for me. I never played for the Stanley Cup. I wanted to try it very much. And we lost in a struggle.

Q: Would you say that this is the most disappointing defeat in your career? The Rangers led in the series 3:1.

NZ: No, there have been more disappointing. In the final of the junior championship, I remember, we lost 14 seconds before the end of the game. But here was a struggle — the playoffs are unpredictable. The guys said that it’s possible to lead 3:0 and lose 4:3, it’s possible to be losing 3:1 and win. And so it turned out for us with Washington.

Q: Why couldn’t you score in the playoffs?

NZ: I couldn’t get my game going. I tried, but it didn’t work. I hope that the next time will be better.

Nikolai Zherdev carried the Rangers through their best, most winning-est moments during the regular season. He was their most consistent scorer that helped bolster the record that would turn out to be a life-preserver in the standings, before showing signs of weakness with uncharacteristic scoring droughts followed by an abysmal playoff series.

"Comeon 7th and 32nd.. we expect numbers from you!"

Here is a quick analysis of Zherdev's point production under Renney vs Tortorella, and scoring streak trend report:


Here are some conclusions one might draw:

Zherdev averaged 0.75 points per game (or good for 3 points every 4 games) under Renney.
Zherdev averaged 0.591 points per game (or good for 1 point every 2 games, sometimes more) under Tortorella.
Zherdev had 0.00 points per game in the playoffs under Tortorella.

Zherdev had 5 three-game point scoring streaks, and 2 four-game streaks.
Conversely, he had 2 three-game droughts, 1 four-game drought, 1 5-game drought, and 1 7-game drought (playoffs).
In the season's final 6 games and 7-game playoff series, in fact, Zherdev only mustered 1 assist and going -5 in the span.

So what happened to the Ukrainian star? What happened to the creative, resourceful scorer who excelled (and even told about how he is energized) when playing against his superstar countrymen? When did the semi-consistent 0.75 PPG average sour into the turn-over machine we saw looking so lost and so devoid of any scoring ability?

When Tom Renney was fired, it spelled out the demise of Zherdev's game (statistically, in 08-09 at least).

In the 29 total games played under Tortorella, Zherdev accumulated a total of 13 points, and suffered through 19 scoreless games (including streaks of 5 and 7 in the final month of the Rangers '08-09 campaign and even two benchings, meaning the majority of the time he was playing - he was not scoring.

Was it the change in play style and personnel? Was it change in general? We really do not know all too much about Nikolai Zherdev, but we can piece together bits of his past to suggest reason behind his collapse.

During the '06-07 Nikolai Zherdev grew frustrated, having problems with scoring consistency [that have resurfaced in Gotham], resulting in benchings and disputes with the staff and management. Although coach-at-the-time Ken Hitchcock had said that they 'cleaned the slate' Zherdev's time in Columbus was running down.

In the '07-08 season Zherdev again clashed with the Bluejackets' administration, going into a contract dispute that would find the Ukrainian threatening to abandon the NHL and play in Russia, paving the way for the Zherdev (and Fritsche) trade for Tyutin (and Backman) with the Rangers.

On October 14th, 2008, Rangers 2007 first round draft pick Alexei Cherepanov, who carried high-hopes for the future of the organization, collapsed next to Avangard Omsk team-mate Jaromir Jagr, and died at only 19. Nikolai Zherdev, who had played with and admired Cherepanov, and was understandably excited to be united with the Russian Rocket in following years, was devastated.


In the following two-weeks after Cherepanov's death, Nikolai Zherdev contributed 1 assist in 5 games. He was finally whisked out of his deep, emotional slump by the camaraderie of his young team mates.

The point is that we have seen evidence in the past that could suggest the 24-year old Russian playing against his countrymen more then with them has worn his emotions on his sleeve. That sleeve being the stitched RBK Rangers jersey, and that emotion being in the form of lackluster, heartless hockey.

When Zherdev is playing confident hockey and having fun - he is a superstar.
When Zherdev is playing depressed hockey - he is nothing.

Perhaps Tom Renney (or maybe somehow Dmitri Kalinin) soothed the Russian and got Zherdev playing Zherdev's game. Nonetheless, the job is in John Tortorella's hands to get (and KEEP) Zherdev playing like we know Zherdev can play.




Markus Naslund retired yesterday! Hats off to the Swede for bowing out of a $3,000,000 guaranteed playing contract in '09-10 (or potential $2,000,000 buyout, or $4,000,000 against the Rangers cap). Assuming Glen Sather has his priorities where they should be, we may see money to go directly to Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky the young nucleus of the organization.