Datsyuk, Ovechkin, Malkin, or Kucherov? Which Russian Had the Best Season of the 21st Century

Of the most dominant Russian forward seasons recorded since 2000-01, which one stands out?

Over the course of the 21st century, we have seen a Russian takeover of the NHL. Taking the torch from players like Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny, they have been among the best players in the league.

While there have been many superstar Russian players in recent years, four forward seasons in particular really stand out. Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Nikita Kucherov are the big outliers for their single-season (and entire career) dominance during this era.

What seasons were their best, and how do they stack up against one another? Let’s take a look.

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Pavel Datsyuk (2007-08)

We may never see a player like Datsyuk again. Very few players throughout history have had a mind on the same level as his. Able to slow the game down to his pace at will with his unmatched skill, his nod into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024 was more than deserved.

Datsyuk’s best season is somewhat subjective, but his 2007-08 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings had it all. His offensive talent was on full display, scoring 31 goals and 66 assists for 97 points in 82 games—this placed him fourth in the league in point production. Also first in the league with a plus-41 rating, he was seldom sacrificing goals the other way.

Getting into some advanced stats, Datsyuk ranked third in both relative expected goals for per 60 (xGF/60 Rel) and relative expected goals percentage (xGF% Rel) at even strength among forwards with at least 200 minutes of ice time. Seeing as only Sidney Crosby and teammate Henrik Zetterberg were better, he was quite easily one of the best players in the world—but it doesn’t end there.