Alexander Romanov reveals one of the key challenges he faced in his rookie season in Montreal

The NHL can be a pretty tough egg to crack if you're coming over from a league like the KHL, where time and space are much more abundant than they are in North America on the smaller ice surface. This past season, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexander Romanov had to learn that the hard way.

During a recent interview in his native Russia, Romanov provided the media with some insight as to what it takes to find success as a defenseman in the NHL. Focus and reading the play were among the more important details that the young blueliner had highlighted.

"You can't blink in the NHL or you will be beaten," said Romanov. "You can easily be beaten by McDavid, but it is also difficult against hard workers who simply throw the puck forward and then follow it and hit it. It was hard to play against Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa."

There are a lot of layers to the NHL that simply don't exist in other leagues, especially on a larger ice surface. It can be tough for a young defenseman to adapt, especially during his rookie season.

Many Habs fans had expressed their distaste for Romanov sitting in the press box for all but 4 postseason games, but when you consider the fact that 2020-21 was Romanov's 54 regular season games were his first taste of NHL action and that the playoffs are a different beast entirely, the picture becomes a bit clearer as to why the coaching staff didn't trust him quite yet.. but they will.

As the 21-year-old continues to progress and develop, he will certainly earn more responsibility and is more likely than not to become a cornerstone on Montreal's blueline.

Romanov's ability to identify and understand some of the key differences between playing in Europe and playing in North America could be a huge asset to him moving forward and should help him immensely as he continues to develop at the NHL level.

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