Providence Bruins assistant coach Bruce Cassidy is already impressed by Yuri Alexandrov.
The young Russian player has four goals and four assists so far in his first season in North America.
Cassidy said the difficulty in coaching Alexandrov comes from the language barrier. The defenseman speaks almost no English, which makes it hard to explain situational plays to him during a game.
"It can be difficult in the heat of the moment but that’s the hand we're dealt," Cassidy said.
Alexandrov is also used to playing the European man-to-man style that is not as common in North America.
But even with the language problems and style differences the assistant coach is still pleased with how Alexandrov has performed. In this week's "Butch's Breakdown," Cassidy cited Alexandrov's good hockey IQ, quick shot and poke-checking ability as the blueliner's biggest assets.
Listen to the full interview with Cassidy below.
