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*bobdigi9* · 03-17-2024, 08:04 AM

12. On the Radar

Depending on who you ask, after being selected with the 22nd pick in the S75 SMJHL draft, Matviy Cajabi either slid or was drafted too early. He was a bit of an unknown, coming from a nation that doesn't provide a bevy of pro hockey talent and not much in the way of a scouting profile on him other than he was "fast". Suffice to say, nobody will be sleeping on him this time around at the S76 SHL Entry Draft.
While his numbers might not jump off the page at first glance, there are a few things to take in account. The Armada had an abundance of skilled forwards available to them this season, and relied upon them heavily. This meant that Cajabi was not deployed with regularity. In fact, of all skaters on the roster, he ranked last on the team with 15:58 TOI with virtually no time on special teams (0:02 PPTOI, 0:09 SHTOI). Now, this shouldn't be a reflection on the player, but rather on what management and coaching felt gave the Armada their best chance at winning games.
In spite of ice time, or lack thereof, Cajabi still managed to post decent offensive numbers. While no slouch as a shooter, like most young players looking to find their place, he took on more of a playmaking mentality in his first season. This saw him finish the season with a stat line of 15-34-49 in 66 games for .74ppg. When comparing against similar players in their draft seasons, the numbers are respectable.
What should have teams excited though, in this day and age of analytics, are his advanced stats. With a CF% of 55% and 101.2 PDO, Cajabi has shown that he's an asset to his team when he's on the ice. Those numbers did drop a bit during the playoffs, but the play of the entire Armada roster dropped so it isn't all that surprising.
Speaking of the playoffs, Cajabi did see an uptick in ATOI. He played over a full minute more in the postseason (17:17) while posting 2-3--5 across 6 games. Always positive news for a player when their team trusts them with more ice time, especially in the playoffs. He also led the team in hits with 21, trying to inspire his teammates anyway he could.
After speaking with the player and talking to sources around the league, there seems to be a lot of interest in him as we approach the draft. I'd say there's a very high probability that Cajabi ends up as a 1st round pick. I'd even go so far as to say he ends up going in the top half of the draft to a team looking for a difference maker for years to come who can be a leader on and off the ice.

Risk: 1/5 Reward: 5/5
Final Grade: A+

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14. R&R

It has been a whirlwind of activity for Matviy Cajabi since declaring his intention to come over from the Ukraine and play in the SMJHL. From the excitement of the draft in Vegas to his first full season with the Armada, there hasn't been much of an opportunity to slow down and appreciate it all yet. And now, even with the Armada's officially over after bowing out in the first round of the J playoffs, it doesn't look like Cajabi will be resting anytime soon.

Cajabi was named to the Team World roster for the upcoming WJC so he'll be back on the ice competing soon enough. And of course, the SHL draft is fast approaching as well. Rest and relaxation? What is that?

Cajabi has kept himself busy since the playoffs ended. While some of the other players have headed back home to spend some time with family and friends, Cajabi has opted to stay in Anchorage over the offseason. The Armada have been gracious enough to allow him to skate and train at the team's home arena, the Sullivan Center. He's hoping the experience of his first full season in North America will go a long way in improving his draft stock as well as being a valuable asset to Team World.

Of course, as well all know, "all work and no play" blah blah blah. On the rare occasions you don't find the rink-rat on the ice, he spends his time with the teammates that have stuck around in Anchorage and works on his English skills. You'll rarely ever spot him without his signature pair of over the ear Bose headphones adorned with Ukrainian flag and Armada stickers. Often times he'll be tucked away in a quiet spot, leaned against his hockey bag with a comic book in hand. At last check, he was reading the Ultimate Galactus Trilogy.

While it may come as a shock, Cajabi doesn't actually live at the Sullivan Center. He has become fascinated with disc golf and is always trying to get his teammates to join him in a round. They've also caught on to the fact that Cajabi is somewhat of a pool shark, which they might have found out after losing a few dollars from their wallets.

He'll also be thrilled to reunite with his parents who he hasn't seen since before last season began. They were unable to travel with him at the time and missed out on hearing his name called during the SMJHL draft. That won't be the case this time as they'll be in attendance this time around during the SHL iteration. Expect him to add tour guide to his vast list of skills while his parents are in town, before heading to the draft. He plans on taking them "flightseeing", and take in the beauty of picturesque Alaska.

Even the resting and relaxing for Cajabi sounds like it will be quite eventful!

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18: Milestones

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