Prospect Profile: Radel Fazleev
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The best way to characterize Radel Fazleev's rookie season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last year is to say it was a true learning experience for the Kazan, Russia native who had spent the three years prior to turning pro in Calgary of the WHL.
After putting together a solid 147 points (42 goals, 105 assists) in 168 WHL games in his three-year junior career , Fazleev came into development camp in the summer of 2016 knowing he was turning pro and likely starting in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Phantoms.
Still, he didn't know what to expect and, when asked, wasn't sure about what kind of role he'd play or where he would fit in on what was quickly becoming a very talented and deep forward core on the organization's AHL roster.
\"Last year was really hard for me. At the same time, it was really fun.\" - Radel Fazleev
Fazleev determined to improve upon rookie season
As is the case for most first-year players at the AHL-level, Fazleev had quite a bit of adjusting to do transitioning from Canadian junior hockey to pro hockey - especially noticeable in the first month or so of the 2016-17 season.
In an interview with Inside AHL Hockey's Tim Riday last November, Fazleev explained that the speed of the game was hard to adjust to at first and that he was getting tired quickly. He also said that he began learning, with help from the Phantoms' coaching staff, to play a smarter, simpler kind of game to help make him more effective on the ice.
Still, the inconsistencies many first year pros experience followed Fazleev throughout the season. He had found his role as a fourth line penalty-killing defensive forward, but was still working on honing his skill set with less ice time than he was used to while playing in the WHL.
\"They're smart. They're strong. They're fast,\" Fazleev told Inside AHL Hockey's Kyle Phillippi of AHL players he played against this past season. \"They are thinking fast, making decisions fast. That was the toughest thing I think to adjust (to). I think I did adjust a little bit but I still have to work a lot next season.\"
Fazleev finished the 2016-17 season with a modest 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 65 games - the lowest output by a Phantoms' forward playing in more than 25 games last year - but his offensive production isn't what kept him out of the lineup during the Phantoms' five-game post-season appearance this past spring - something that left the Flyers' 2014-6th round pick both frustrated and determined to rebound with a stronger performance in his upcoming 2nd year at the pro level.
\"Yeah of course. I think every player will get frustrated after being scratched - especially after not playing in one game in playoffs,\" Fazleev said at this summer's development camp in Voorhees, New Jersey. \"It was coach's decision. He knows better, of course he wants to play his best players. So for that time it means I wasn't one of the, I mean, there were better players than me for that time.\"
He's not going to get mad, or sulk about it though. He knows this is hockey. It's business. It just means he needs to work more, stay positive and look forward to next season.
\"Last year was really hard for me,\" Fazleev said of adjusting both on and off the ice as a professional hockey player last season.. \"At the same time it was really fun.\"
Photo: Nina Weiss / Inside AHL Hockey
While he didn't enjoy as much on-ice success as he would have liked, Fazleev did gain a lot of experience from this past season and should build off of that experience
\"I met a lot of new players, new people. I learned from them - I was learning every day,\" Fazleev explained.\" It was really great to be around those guys - watching them play and learning. I think I'm going to be much more smarter and I'm going to have an idea what to do on the ice in the American Hockey League.\"
Another thing that should help Fazleev to a much-improved sophomore campaign at the pro level beginning this fall is both his comfort level - with the Lehigh Valley area both at the rink with the facilities and away from the rink in town - and his confidence level. He now knows what to expect.
\"I'm going to the next season with more confidence,\" Fazleev said, adding, \" I know what's going to happen, I know the team, I know the staff, I know the coach, I know what he wants from me. I know what do. I have an idea of how to live in Allentown, what to eat, where to buy food. What the season is like, the schedule like. I know what to expect from the game. I know what to get ready. Of course I'm going to feel more comfortable and hopefully I'll be better and playing every game.\"
