At the beginning of the season, it seemed like defenceman Nikita Tryamkin did not deserve a spot with the Vancouver Canucks. Simply said, other players were better than him. Plus, according to Canucks personnel, his fitness was not at the same level as the other players’.
Thanks to a European assignment clause in his contract, however, the big Russian got to stay in B.C. A 22-year-old with little English knowledge, Tryamkin prefers home over a small American city called Utica, and the Canucks prefer having him around over sending him back home.
It took 10 games in the press box and, more importantly, the gym for Tryamkin to get into game shape.