hey man don’t make fun of me
joking aside, I can’t find many scouting reports on Smirnov other than he was a big power forward. Anyone else have insight?
found this from 2005
Alexei Smirnov, LW – 1st round, 12th overall (Moscow Dynamo, Russia)
Status: NHL prospect
NHL games played: 52
At the time of the draft, Smirnov was touted as a player who could dominate a game physically and offensively, but the question was his mental makeup. Since being drafted, he has proven both of these to be true. Leading all Anaheim 2000 picks with 52 games of NHL experience, Smirnov was signed by the team prior to the 2002-03 season and had a goal and an assist in his first game as a Mighty Duck. He split his first year between Anaheim and Cincinnati, but did play in four games of Anaheim’s impressive run to the Stanley Cup finals.
The following year, Smirnov saw only a handful of games at the NHL level and has continued on that path ever since. He has spent the last two seasons almost exclusively in Cincinnati, where his laziness and inconsistencies have caused much stress and grey hair for the coaching staff. Smirnov could be described as two completely different players at this point. There is one who can dominate a game physically, while producing offensively and taking care of himself defensively. Then there is the Smirnov who is often disinterested and indifferent to the game around him. Smirnov played in only four of Cincinnati’s playoff games this spring, sitting out the remainder as a healthy scratch. His contract will soon be up and it will be interesting to see what direction Anaheim takes with this young player. He possesses plenty of promise, but how much patience does the team have left for him?
there's an article from the LA times about him from 02 but its behind a paywall
Ducks, Smirnov Reach Agreement
