Which Canucks are in the Top 50 Russian NHLers of all time?

Russian magazine Sport-Express recently released its top 50 Russian NHLers of all time. If that list is a bit difficult to comprehend, here's The Hockey News with a non-Russian version. 

It's important to remember that this list doesn't take into account time spent in the KHL (or any Russian league), nor does it count contributions to the Russian national team. The list is purely concerned with how the player fared in the NHL, taking into account the player's level of play at the peak of the NHL career, their consistency, titles and longevity. 

And while the list took titles into fairly heavy consideration, four former Canucks still made it onto the list (and no, Artem Chubarov didn't quite make the cut).

4. Pavel Bure 

After Malkin, Fedorov and Ovechkin is Bure, which is a bit of a surprise. While Bure was certainly dominant in his prime, a contract dispute and injuries cut his career short, meaning his career numbers in the NHL are surpassed by many players on the list (he's 11th in points among Russian NHLers). Still, it's hard to argue with his play. Vancouverites who watched him play in person will tell you he's the best they've ever seen live. 

Fair Ranking?

Red Wings fans might not agree, seeing as another Pavel (Datsyuk) finds himself right behind the 'Russian Rocket', but that's probably where he'd find himself in a race against Bure as well, so fair enough. 

8. Alexander Mogilny

Ah, what could have been. It's hard to look back at the period when Bure and Mogilny played together on the Canucks' top line with anything other than earnest nostalgia. Alas, that feeling is somewhat unearned. Mogilny had but one truly great season with Vancouver, and it was in a year that Bure was shelved for all but 15 games. Other than that incredible 107-point campaign, Mogilny never again registered more than a point per game in a Vancouver jersey.

Still, he was one of the most electric and exciting players to watch in Vancouver history. 

Fair Ranking?

Mogilny is third all time among Russian scorers, with 1032 points in 990 games. That's not far from what Ovechkin accomplished points-per-game wise, though it must be said that the Capitals' winger has played the majority of his career in an era where it's much harder to score. Sandwiched between two Russian stalwarts — Nikolai Khabibulin and Sergei Gonchar, who, like Mogilny, played long, respected careers and won Stanley Cups in the second half of them, this is a fair spot for Mogilny. 

16. Igor Larionov

If this list took into consideration non-NHL accomplishments, it's likely Larionov would be higher. Drafted by the Canucks in the now-defunct 11th round of the 1985 draft, mostly because teams didn't actually think he would be permitted to leave the Soviet Union, Larionov didn't debut in the NHL until he was 29. After three successful seasons with the Canucks, Larionov went to the Swiss League for a year.

Why? Because he was tired of the Soviet government drawing a portion of his salary. No, seriously, that happened. 

Larionov returned a year later to sign a contract with the San Jose Sharks and later win three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. 

Fair Ranking? 

Honestly, it's a little low. Larionov was known around the league as one of the NHL's smartest players. Unfortunately, through no fault of his own, he just didn't have enough of his prime years in the NHL. 

45. Sergei Nemchinov

Sergei Nemchinov scored at a very admirable .83 points per game during his time with the Canucks. Unfortunately, that time lasted only six games. 

Fair Ranking? 

He was a part of that '94 Rangers team that won the Cup, so let's call it undeserved.